The Family Business
by TyKae
Summary: Sasuke, an officer in the Nazi SS, transfers to Paris to meet his estranged brother. But he finds himself faced with the decision to join the French Resistance, turning from his family to what's right - and a blond orphan. SasuNaru, KakaIru, ItaKisa
1. Chapter 1

**This story has been re-uploaded** per the request of a reader that is very influential to me. As a re-uploaded story, minor fixes to wording, grammar, etc. will be made as I see fit. But _please_ don't review this story saying, "This story is stolen!1!" It's not stolen, just reposted, and the old story's location will have the chapters taken down. The old story, however - albeit chapterless - will stay up, because the entire profile is a gravesite I visit every once in a while to remind myself of lessons I've learned. If you're old fans, thanks for still being around. I've grown a little as a writer, and that's what the minor fixes are for - to brush up on spots with new tricks I've picked up. So, anyways, here's the reuploading of:

**The Family Business  
**Tycho Kouros

It was 12:03 in the morning when Sasuke finally stepped off the train from Berlin – sixty-three minutes late. The two soldiers at the checkpoint were probably still reeling from the verbal thrashing he'd given them for holding up his train just to spot check the travel papers of passengers on board. He would have been quicker to pull rank and tell them to fuck off, had it not been for...

"One more time – explain to me why you felt it necessary to intrude into my personal life and follow me all the way to Paris?" Sasuke asked, turning back to look at his silver-haired superior, who was busy eying a pair of women at the end of the terminal waiting on their train.

"Because, Sasuke – I find your personal life far more interesting than anything else going on in the world." he explained, to which Sasuke scoffed.

"Only you would find it more interesting to stalk me than pay attention to anything else going on, such as... you know, a war..." Sasuke could tell – the face beneath the man's mask was locked in a dismissive smile. It always was, and Sasuke found it annoying to no end. He walked, closely followed by the source of his aggravation, towards the station. A proper source of transportation would – _should_ – be there to pick them up and take them to the hotel he'd made reservations at until a more permanent living arrangement could be acquired. Once through the crowds in the larger building and out in front of the building, however, he found that the transportation was far short of "proper" – it was a small cab, with a soldier leaning against the passenger door smoking a cigarette. As the two walked closer, he threw his cigarette on the ground and snapped to attention, greeting them with a salute.

"Colonel, Lieutenant."

"Corporal." Sasuke said, jaw clenched, flashing only a small resemblance to a salute. Kakashi, behind him, didn't even bother to return the salute – only waving a hand dismissively. The door was opened for them, the luggage they carried in their hands packed into the trunk. Kakashi had suggested they allow their luggage to be taken care of, but Sasuke refused. He wouldn't permit some slimy little peon to forget his suitcase on a street corner and lose all of his belongings. Kakashi, as usual, mocked his distrust of the incompetent.

"So when do you plan to meet him?" Sasuke breathed a deep, frustrated sigh. Kakashi had been asking him the entire train ride the same question, over and over again, not letting the subject drop for more than a few minutes at a time. He'd finally reached the end of his rope.

"If you _must_ know, not that it's _at all_ any of your business, I plan on going by his apartment some time tomorrow."

"And you haven't seen him since you were..."

"Eleven."

"Wow. Eight years? And you're only now trying to make contact with him?" Sasuke gritted his teeth and fixed a hard stare out the window, watching the streetlights flash by. "You two must have not gotten along, or else you would have – "

"Can we discuss this some other time?" Sasuke snapped, flashing his most lethal glare right into the only exposed eye of his mentor. Kakashi couldn't even have begun to understood how Sasuke felt. He'd never have understood how much Sasuke loved his brother, how much he depended on him, only to find that one day he'd had his parents send him to France to study, without even telling him goodbye. Sasuke had cried for days. He'd sent letters, he'd made phone calls, but his brother never bothered to return his attempts towards contact.

Finally, now a quickly rising soldier in the Schutzstaffel, one of the most successful descendents of the powerful Madara Uchiha, founder and leader of the Schutzstaffel, rocketing to a position where his father and grandfather would say his name with pride; at nineteen being on the path to becoming a son of the Uchiha clan, who would carry on and progress the Uchiha legacy – finally, a man with _power,_ to throw around in a Nazi-occupied Paris, he could hunt his brother down and force him to explain himself. Sasuke didn't expect him to have a good enough reason to put him through so much pain. In such a case, he planned on bringing down all of his power to punish him for the betrayal, for the pain, for –

"Lieutenant?" Sasuke, broken from his thought, looked up, to find the driver waiting by the opened door. "We're here, sir."

Sasuke only grunted affirmation, grabbing his suitcase from the man's hand and walking quickly into the hotel lobby to check in.

* * *

It was one in the morning – an hour after he'd arrived in Paris. Though he'd gone hours without sleep, he found that, once unpacked and settled into his hotel room, he couldn't stop himself from hunting his down his prey when he was so close to what had taken him eight years to achieve. Shed of his usual uniform and dressed now in his favorite, most comfortable casual outfit – a tight black shirt, and a baggy pair of black pants with the family crest on the thigh of his left leg – he stood, the cab driving away, in front of a broken down building.

Sasuke checked the address on the worn slip of paper he'd clung to, opening and re-folding repeatedly, for the two weeks prior, against the address on of the building. It was an unnecessary act – Sasuke had by then memorized, taken deep into the recesses of his mind and heart, the address that was supposed to be the location of his brother. It was worlds away from the building Sasuke had assumed his brother was living in – no member of the Uchiha family, even a member studying abroad, would be so poor as to live in the kind of dirty, pathetic excuse for a hovel that he was standing in front of. Sasuke knew, however, that the records were accurate – they were Nazi records; meticulous, with a lethal accuracy down to the proper capitalization of name and minute of birth.

He walked up the stairs, entering the building with determination to find what he was looking for.

After minutes spent waiting on the elevator – until being informed by a tired, unkempt, elderly woman that the elevator had been broken for almost a year – he proceeded to climb the three flights of stairs it would take to reach apartment 3-A. The walls in the stairwell were, like the rest of the building, dirty – broken and crumbling. In one spot, the wall had been smashed through, and he could see the studs inside the wall. A passing glance down the hall of the second floor didn't do much to improve his opinion of the buildings, nor their residents – trash, broken furniture, even piles of broken beer bottles were the only decoration to the filthy, unlit hall. The third floor wasn't much better, and it took a powerful resolve not to cringe as he passed a rat gnawing on a piece of moldy cheese in an overturned garbage can as he mad his way down the hall.

Finally, at the end of the hall, he found apartment 3-A. The door was as dirty and discolored as the rest he'd passed – the only sign anything related to an Uchiha might possibly reside in the apartment was the trash can outside the door, which stood properly, with a lid, albeit a dented and beaten one, sitting on top to keep whatever kinds of life that lived in the metal container safely inside.

A sudden shock of reality flashed in Sasuke's mind – there he stood. In front of what he'd been searching for, what he'd been dreaming of finding for the past eight years. And, as confused as he was about the location, he was nonetheless resolved, anticipation coursing through his veins like an electric current, to get the answers he'd longed to get for years.

He raised his fist and pounding on the door – the heavy wood, sturdier than it seemed, exploding in loud thuds beneath his hand. The current peaked with a jolt as he heard rustling beyond the door. Locks clicked and the doorknob turned – and the door opened.

Standing before him, dirty and tired, his eyes puffy from sleep, dark rings beneath them, was Itachi – his unmistakable, though dirty, hair flowing down to his shoulders; his dark, Uchiha eyes staring back into Sasuke's. He could see the fog of sleep clearing from the man's vision, and dark eyebrows furrowing in confusion. The voice cracked, surprise lacing it.

"Sasuke?"

Before Sasuke knew what was happening, the soft flesh of lip was pressed, for just an instant, against his knuckles. As Itachi's face head snapped back from the punch, Sasuke pulled back his right hand, pressing forward to deliver with a blow to the man's gut with his left. He stopped as the body keeled forward, wrapping around his hand, before pulling his fist back and watching as the body sank down to its knees, Itachi panting hard to catch his breath. Sasuke's triggered nerves caught the sound of heavy footsteps, and he caught the form of a massive man standing in a doorway, the darkness of the room blurring the body's identity. Itachi quickly reached out a hand to stop the man, though, and after a moment of silence it disappeared back into the other room.

Itachi struggled to stand, blood pouring from his lip onto his chin. Arms opened up, and Sasuke found himself being held in an embrace, a hand pressing against the back of his head, pulling it onto a fragile shoulder. Sasuke could hear small sobs, and only then realized that he, too, was crying.

"I'm so sorry," the man's voice choked.

It was at that moment when Sasuke's broke, and found himself bawling into the neck of his brother, his arms wrapping around the other in a crushing embrace. The eleven year old inside him came pouring out as – just like he had during the teams before that day eight years ago – he cried in the arms of the person he loved most.

* * *

Sasuke sat on the couch – ratty, emitting an odd smell – turned slightly to face his brother, who sat in an even more worn armchair, small tears and countless stains in the upholstery. Itachi sipped on the glass of wine, Sasuke having passed on the glass of water he was offered – sure that it wasn't safe to drink, if the brown tint was anything to go by.

"Offering your guest filthy water while you drink wine?" Sasuke said, venom in his voice, though a very diluted venom from the emotional meltdown he'd just experienced. Tired eyes stared into his own, unapologetic.

"When the guest is _you_, then yes – I refuse to offer my nineteen year old brother alcohol, even if it's only wine." The warmth that spread through his chest at the thought of his brother knowing how old he was after eight years of absence was dampened by the question he was reminded of.

"Do you hate me?" Sasuke kept his eyes locked on the carpet – filthy, even despite the obvious attempts to clean it. His eyes widened as, in a single swift movement, his brother moved in a fluid motion from the armchair to the couch, pulling him into another embrace.

"Why would you ever think that?" Itachi whispered in his ear. Sasuke pushed him away, angry now.

"Why would I think that! You up and leave for another country without even telling me you were thinking about it, without even telling me _goodbye_, and you can't understand why I'd think that! Damn you!" Sadness flashed in the face in front of him.

"I don't know why I expected them to tell you." Sasuke was confused by the answer, cut short in his tirade to stare blankly at his brother. "I didn't just up and leave you, Sasuke. You were the first I thought of when I left. And I've thought of you ever since."

"Then why!" Sasuke's voice cracked as he asked, begged – shame flared in the back of his mind; to be Lieutenant in the Schutzstaffel, and to be crying like a baby, begging like a child! Itachi's expressionless face, his eyes cast down, avoiding contact.

"Tell me about yourself, Sasuke. How have you been?" The silence in the room echoed within Sasuke's body, as if it were hollow – it throbbed in his head, before finally giving way to rage.

"What! I sit here and ask you what _possible_ reason you could _ever_ have to explain why you would leave me, _ALONE_, and you _dare_ ask me how I've been! Like you were making conversation with the baker when you're picking up your bread for the week!" The downcast eyes met his, and the hardness of determination in the black orbs drained him of his anger.

The two sat in silence. Before finally, Itachi spoke.

"I wanted to ease into it. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to seem insensitive."

Sasuke nodded, silent as he accepted the apology.

"Why did they tell you I'd left?" Again, the confusion from earlier seeped back into him.

"That you'd come to study here in Paris." Itachi scoffed, grabbing the wine glass he'd set on the table and chugging down the red liquid, before moving to refill the glass.

"Do I look like I'm studying?" Sasuke watched the anger flash across the face staring into the glass of swirling liquid.

"No, it looks like you're wasting the money Father sends you every month, but I can't possibly guess on what. It's certainly not on furniture or housing."

"Father doesn't send me money, Sasuke." Sasuke stared at him as he sat back down into the armchair.

"Of course he does. He told me he does." Long hair whipped lightly as Itachi shook his head.

"No, Father hasn't spoken to me since he sent me away." Every answer Sasuke got to a question, more questions seemed to grow.

"What do you mean, 'Sent you away'?" The distant look in Itachi's eyes returned. He took a long sip of wine.

"That's why I asked how you've been. I assume you joined the family business?"

"You mean the Schutzstaffel?" Itachi nodded, taking another sip.

"Call it what you want."

"Yes, of course I did. What does that have to do with anything?" Itachi didn't answer immediately, instead staring into his glass as he swirled the wine around.

"When I was sent away, I was 15. It was assumed I was to join when I was 16, like I'm sure you did. However, I disagreed. I felt a certain disgust, and still do, at the thought of joining the German war machine in the name of family honor. I didn't leave you, Sasuke. I was sent away. I was sent away by father, and Madara's order, so as not to embarrass the family when I refused to enlist. I didn't want to leave you, Sasuke." Sasuke watched as he downed the rest of the glass in a single gulp, standing, this time with a bit of a stagger, to head for the bottle and refill the glass once again. "I guess I was selfish in that. I spoke out against it because of what _I_ wanted. I didn't think of the consequences." He headed once again for the arm chair, this time bringing the bottle with him, before he continued.

"I didn't think of you, Sasuke. And I didn't think that the consequences would be so swift in their execution. I didn't take into consideration that Madara would remove a glitch in his plan so swiftly, so completely. I didn't think of you, or that I'd never see you again for my decision. And for that, I'm sorry." Sasuke's chest felt as if it were crushing his lungs. Tears stung at his eyes as he watched his brother take another long sip of the wine.

"But what about the letters I'd sent you?" Itachi shrugged, his body beginning to get loose.

"Don't know. I highly doubt they made it very far. You could probably ask Madara, I'm sure he has them. If he didn't burn them. After my letters to you were rejected at the border and returned to me, I started to give up getting in contact with you. Apparently any form of attempt to contact you that came from France was censored."

Sasuke shook his head, standing.

"They wouldn't do that. You're lying."

Itachi stood as well, and Sasuke froze as he looked into his brother's glassy eyes – their focus hazy from the alcohol, tears beginning to slip from them and down onto his now reddened cheeks. Arms wrapped around Sasuke, and Itachi's weight pulled on him as the man's body, muscles loose from the wine, seemed to lean on him more than embrace him.

"I'm so sorry, Sasuke. Please. Forgive me." A hot, wet face pressed into the crook of his neck. Sasuke hugged him back – sitting down on the couch, pulling the body of his brother, now drunk, with him.

The door in the corner opened, and Sasuke turned to see the man from earlier standing in the doorway. His body was impressive – large, well-worked muscles dressed with a bluish-tinted skin visible in his shirtless state. He wore only a pair of black boxers, covering powerful thighs. The man moved back into the room, the open door a sign that he would soon return. When he came back and exited what appeared to be a bedroom, he was carrying blankets and pillows. He set them on the couch, next to the brothers, before giving a stern look to Sasuke and returning to the room, shutting the door this time.

Itachi, still holding him, was now snoring softly. Sasuke lowered their bodies further onto the couch, grabbing the pillow and adjusting it before maneuvering his brother so his head lay on it. Then Sasuke, his brother's arms keeping him close, lay his head on his brother's chest. When he closed his eyes to sleep, he felt this time as if a hole within him had been filled. He was in his brother's arms, eleven again, in bed with his brother – where nightmares wouldn't find him, where monsters couldn't get him. He was in his brother's arms – where he was safe.

Sasuke fell asleep not long after.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Family Business  
**Tycho Kouros

"_Please, someone! Help me!"_ _she screamed between loud moans of pain. She had been home from the market, when suddenly the labor pains began. She had tried to find someone to take her to the hospital, but made it only another block before the pain had taken her to the ground._

"_Anyone!" A police officer walked up to her, unsure of what to do. As he tried to help her, tried to get her to transportation, a crowd gathered around them. _

_Fifteen minutes later, amid a crowd of onlookers, silenced beneath her loud wails of pain, she was giving birth to a baby boy. The officer held the bloody bundle in his arms, the baby shaking in the cold of the night. He handed it to her. A weak smile graced her lips._

"_My baby..." _

_A doctor, retrieved from a nearby market by one of the onlookers, came running – just as her eyes began to cloud. He told the officer to the take the baby and wrap it to keep it warm, checking her pulse. But it was too late. As the officer handed the baby to one of the people in the crowd to help the doctor with the quickly fading woman, the man looked down at the bundle – golden hair, brilliant blue eyes. _

_As the doctor rose, the policeman shaking his head, the baby boy began to cry. The policeman turned, grumbling, "Sucks to be that kid."_

_

* * *

_

He swatted at the hand shaking his shoulder, pulling the pillow over his head as he shifted and attempted to find sleep. The hand snaked beneath the covers and continued shaking him.

"Naruto, wake up!" He finally let out a deep breath and sat up, easing as his aching muscles whined for being used.

" 'M up, 'Ruka. 'M up..." As he rubbed his eyes and focused his vision, he met the concerned face of Iruka, watching him.

"How do you feel?" He rubbed his stomach, cringing as a familiar pain ran through tired nerves, worn from the night before – during which they'd spent reminding him of his most recent encounter with soldiers.

"Better. Is there food?" a sad smile flashed across Iruka's face.

"We have bread. I'll bring it to you." Naruto stopped him before reached the door. He knew the bread Iruka was referring to – the single slice of bread. And he couldn't eat break he knew he was taking from Iruka. Iruka only smiled. They'd gone through this before – enough times for the verbal aspect of the exchange to be unnecessary.

"I'll share it with you." Naruto nodded his approval, and Iruka left him to dress – his clothes folded, sitting in the chair by the wall, the most recent tears patched. Naruto ran his hand over the patch gently. He was thankful Iruka had taken the time to think of him, but he felt guilty, knowing that Iruka couldn't afford the materials. He pulled on his clothes, and headed into the kitchen to share his piece of bread.

His half sat on a plate, by half a glass of water. Iruka was busy packing his graded papers into his bag, his breakfast already finished. Naruto chewed on the bread, sipping the water – anything to make it seem like more than it was. Iruka glanced at Naruto, who was watching him closely.

"What's wrong?" Naruto drew in a deep breath.

"Why don't you let me?" Iruka didn't answer at first, growing quiet, refusing to meet Naruto's gaze.

"Because, Naruto. I don't want you getting killed. We're fine as we are."

"We could be better." Iruka walked across the small apartment, pulling the blond's body against his own.

"Naruto, you're worth more to me than any loaf of bread." he whispered.

"What about cheese?" Naruto was quick to flash a toothy smile at Iruka's shocked expression, enjoying the way Iruka seemed to brighten at the joke.

"More than cheese, too. We'll be fine, Naruto. I get more food tickets in two days. And I'll find us some dinner to eat tonight. I don't want you to worry." Iruka picked up his bag and opened the door, quickly throwing over his shoulder, "And I _don't_ want you stealing anything!"

"Iruka –"

"No!" With that final word, Iruka walked out and closed the door behind him, leaving the blond alone in the dirty apartment.

* * *

Naruto walked down the street, hands in his pockets, heading towards the kennels to meet his best friend, Kiba. Kiba's family had a long history of working with animals, so he and his family were the most highly recommended to help take care of the German attack dogs. They were lucky – unemployment was widespread in the city. Another of his friends, Shikamaru, had already secured a job at a library. Iruka was able to keep his job as a teacher, though the pay was slowly beginning to starve them both to death – though, everyone was starving. To blame it on his job wouldn't be fair.

While the food tickets kept food at affordable prices, they didn't create food out of thin air – they did nothing to rectify the food shortage that plagued the city. Food storages dwindled during the fight to repel the Nazi army; the loss and occupation proved to kick the failing food productions while they were down, throwing the city into shortage.

The occupation didn't help at all – everywhere he looked, soldiers strutted around, assault rifles slung over their shoulders with pride. Those rifles were the ultimate food tickets – they were tickets to cut in line, steal from those who had managed to find food, and silence anyone who dared to protest.

Naruto would know – he'd been on the receiving end of a rifle butt enough times to know, intimately, just how much retribution came with speaking too loud or mumbling the wrong words. He was at least grateful to have been on the safer side of the rifle – it seemed every day, the list of victims by the hands of bored Nazi soldiers grew. He, again, knew that fact all too well – being an orphan, a _poor_ orphan, dressed in tattered clothes, seemed to just beg soldiers to beat him up for their own amusement. After the second attack had left him with a deep gash in his arm and a busted lip, he made it a point to try and make it to Iruka's apartment before dark. Sometimes, however, he pushed his luck in order to catch a piece of local gossip at a neighborhood cafe. And it would be on the walk home that his luck would remind him not to be pushed too far – delivery via a rifle butt to the stomach and a knee to the face.

He rubbed his jaw, still sore from the previous night's encounter with a kraut. It had been raining, and he'd decided to stay underneath an overhang until the worst of the storm passed. The soldiers, however, weren't so lucky, and it seemed that their wet uniforms made them irritable; anger which they decided to take out on him. Cuts and bruises decorated his torso from the abuse – punches when he tried to stand, kicks when he was knocked back down. It was a particularly brutal beating, if his limp was anything to go by.

"Damn, man, you got wailed on!" Naruto looked up to see a chuckling Kiba, his dog Akamaru in tow.

"Yeah, ran into some pissy krauts on the way home..."

"Well, your head does bounce off of concrete real nice. And your cheeks are squishy, too." Kiba emphasized his point by poking the cheeks, at which Naruto swatted furiously. Kiba laughed at the reaction.

"Oh, did you hear about the new officers that got transferred last night?" Naruto shook his head. He always counted on Kiba to keep him informed on the going-ons of the Nazi occupation. "Man, we got some badasses! One's a real psychopath! I hear he does some messed up shit to people that get captured. And the other's a real hardass! Some of the soldiers were calling him 'the raven', because he's always in black even when he's not in uniform, and that whenever he shows up somewhere, it only means bad luck for any of the soldiers that seem him – like a raven!"

"I'm sure they're exaggerating –"

"No! Like, apparently when he arrived at midnight last night, and an hour later, they say he was stalking the streets looking for people to kill! And that when he has people killed, he has their body taken to his house and he prepares the body and eats them, just like how a raven eats dead animals! That's why he doesn't order many people killed – he picks them for taste. And when he does kill them, he has them killed in ways that preserve the taste."

"Yeah, yeah, and I'm sure he flies off into the night making a God-awful sound, just like a raven does, too, right?"

"Naruto, don't be stupid." The blond only chuckled at his friend's imagination. "You have to admit though, with stuff they say about what the Nazis do, it might be possible." he whispered, careful not to let anyone around him hear – for fear of them being a Gestapo informant. Naruto only shrugged, walking with Kiba to the cafe they hung out in, where they served free pie to anyone who looked pitiful enough – and between Naruto's clothes and Akamaru's sad eyes, they always managed free pie.

* * *

It was late by the time he left the cafe – he'd meant to leave earlier, but he simply lost track of time. It wasn't until the sun had set that he realized his mistake. He ran hard, knowing Iruka would worry about him if he were late again. Feet pounded the stone streets. Their apartment was only a few blocks away, and he'd managed to avoid any patrols. He felt home-free, until –

"Well look who it is! The little street rat's back to give us another good time!" Naruto froze, staring terrified into the faces of the men from the night before. He'd made a horrible mistake – he should have remembered to avoid that particular street at the same time as the night before. It was only a moment of regret, though, before soldiers start forward towards him, and all that left his mind as his survival instincts kicked in. He turned the corner and made a dash for an alley – his only chance of escape would be to make it into the alley and hopefully find a fence he could climb; soldiers were surprisingly finicky about tearing ripping their uniforms trying to climb fences. The alley, however, proved instead to be only a dead end, as he collided with the stone of the wall – hard – while his head was turned to watch for his pursuers.

His breath knocked out of his lungs, his head dazed from the collision – he wasn't much to catch up to, and it was only a minute later when boots were making solid connections with his already bruised ribs. Kick after kick landed on him, until finally a scream tore from his throat as a crack in his chest echoed in his body, the pain from the broken rib blinding his vision in a white light. Blood roared in his ears as his senses left him from the pain. When the white faded and his hearing returned, he heard silence – it took him a moment to realize that he was still conscious – and alive. He rolled his head on the ground, blood pouring from the wound, to see the soldiers standing at attention, a dark figure silhouetted by the street lights at the end of the alley. He stayed quiet, listening to the conversation.

"... may I ask what's going on?"

"N-nothing, sir! Just punishing a thief, is all." Naruto reflexively attempted to deny the accusation, but his voice was replaced with a gurgle and a cough as he choked on blood pouring from his freshly opened lip, sending him into shivers of pain as his ribs, especially the broken one, were roughed by the force of his coughing. Silence followed his whimpering – during which time he curled into as much of a ball as he could, another survival instinct from his time on the streets. The thud of feet walking in heavy boots grew louder, coming towards him. He watched as the man stood by by the soldiers, still firm in attention. The man seemed to have a kind of relaxed posture. Naruto was confused by the actions of his attackers – the man seemed to be studying his broken body, but he couldn't find the energy to care as he was assessed.

"Who is this thief?" Silence followed the question.

"S-sir?" Fear and confusion laced the soldier's voice.

"Who is he? He must be pretty notorious, since you found it necessary to abandon your patrol and chase him down. Any thief who is important enough to catch or kill at the cost of potentially finding resistant or subversive activity surely must be legendary?"

"Our orders are to –" Naruto watched as, with a swift shift of the hand, the soldier's response was silenced. It wasn't until the body began to slowly keel forward, wrapping around the fist still planted in his gut, that Naruto understood what had happened. As the fist was pulled back, the man, grabbing his stomach, feel to his knees, before falling sideways and curling into a ball.

"Your _orders_ are to patrol this shit-hole of a city! Never _once_ has the definition of 'patrol' involved straying from your route in order to beat up some kid just because _you_ think that justice is to be administered on the spot!"

"Sir, we've always –" The other soldier caught himself mid-sentence, silencing himself. The dark man's head turned slowly.

"You don't anymore. Dismissed." The standing soldier was quick to collect his friend and was practically dragging him away, turning the corner as the man attempted to find strength in his legs to walk away, to escape the man as fast as possible. The thud of the footsteps came closer once again, and Naruto found his breathing becoming shallow in fear as the man, obviously strong enough to beat up Nazi soldiers on the streets and have them running away in terror, approaching him. The man knelt down beside him, a gentle hand running through his hair.

"Are you alright?" Afraid to talk for fear of a coughing fit, he nodded his head – discovering a new pain in the back of his neck. An ache, dulled by the fire in his chest, spread through his head as the fingers pressed a certain spot. "Your head is bleeding."

"It's fine." he managed to grind out, careful to make sure the blood was cleared from his mouth before he spoke. The man knelt in silence, watching him. Finally, the hand removed itself from his hair, and snaked underneath his neck, cradling his shoulders. The other arm tucked itself behind his knees, and the world seemed to spin as he suddenly found himself being lifted. A painful cry ripped from the back of his throat as his rib was jostled. The man didn't set him down, but instead continued to lift him, whispering soft hushes in his ear.

"Where do you live?" Naruto was too tired to care anymore, telling him the way to Iruka's apartment. The man walked, careful not to cause any unnecessary movements in the injured body. Sometime during the walk, Naruto's vision faded, and his head pressed into the man's hard chest – into his black shirt.

* * *

The pain his ribs woke him as the man kicked the door to Iruka's apartment, the heavy boots shaking the door in its hinges. Quick footsteps were head, and the door was jerked open.

"Oh, God..." The man walked forward, bringing them into the apartment. The man remained silent as Iruka ushered him towards the bed. The world spun again as he was lowered this time, set into the soft bed. The arms untangled themselves from his body. The man began to stand, but Naruto called out for him.

"Wait! … who are you?" The man's dark eyes stared into his own. He could see his vision begin to swim, and his consciousness faded once again. But he was sure of what he heard before he passed out. The man looked at him, and said only a single word in response to his question:

"Hn."

And his senses left him.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Family Business  
**Tycho Kouros

"So I heard you pulled in some overtime last night." Sasuke looked up from his desk to find his silver-haired superior eying him with amusement.

"Shut up." Kakashi didn't show even the tiniest hint of being repelled – but after months of experiencing similar situations, Sasuke didn't expect he would. Kakashi only seemed to take the response as an invitation, walking into the office and sitting in a chair against the wall.

"You know, you're not doing much to help your reputation. Your midnight escapades are only fueling rumors that you're some kind of demonic entity that lurks the streets at night, looking for unsuspecting guards to terrorize, in between your huntings of small children to eat..."

"Hn."

"And the one last night is sending a brand new kind of gossip into the conversations by the water cooler..." Sasuke watched as Kakashi stood and closed the door quietly, turning around with an unusual seriousness in his eye. "They're saying you reprimanded guards to save a thief. What happened, Sasuke?" Sasuke returned to his work, only giving the conversation half of his attention.

"I did my job. They were neglecting their duties because they found it more amusing to beat up some guy. I went in and reminded them to be responsible and prioritize things better." Kakashi seemed unimpressed by his answer.

"You assaulted one of them for – "

"Questioning a superior officer. And I didn't 'assault' him. It was corporal punishment. Educational. He's lucky I didn't do worse, considering his actions were very close to being insubordinate. I gave him the benefit of the doubt."

"You gave him a fist to the gut." Sasuke shrugged his shoulders, unable to stop the sadistic smirk that crept across his lips. He looked into the man's eye, sudden seriousness tugging at him.

"Why are you here? I've beat up incompetent soldiers before, and you never said a word. Now suddenly you're here worrying about my 'reputation', or telling me that I was being reckless. What's this about, Kakashi?" The man didn't say much; he watched Sasuke closely, deep in thought.

"... you can't fool me, Sasuke." Kakashi said with a heavy sigh. "You did it to save the guy they were attacking. Don't try and tell me it was for any other reason." he said, cutting off Sasuke's defensive explanation. "I'm not going to tell you it was wrong, Sasuke. I, for one, find a certain amount of compassion during warfare to be the mark of a true soldier. Anyone can be reckless in their desire to kill, but it takes a strong man to be selective in his opinion of the enemy; to know the difference between a man with a gun and a child of no threat. But I've read the reports on the situation of the occupation, Sasuke, and the higher-ups are supporting that sort of activity. There's a resistance here. It's small, but it's there. And, because it's small, the men in charge believe that a constant pressure of attrition and frequent acts of oppression will destroy their spirit and make it too difficult for them to launch any sort of organized resistance."

"That kind of thought will only cause _more_ resistance. If the people are oppressed or terrorized by cowardly acts of brutality, it will stir in them a desire to rid themselves of the ones causing them so much grief. That sort of thought will paint Nazi forces as weak and cowardly, and any resistance will grow strong from the belief that an army who busies itself assaulting petty thieves will be scared away by the exposure to "true" warfare. If what I saw last night is a widespread occurrence in the occupation forces, then I can't find myself to blame the French for trying to organize a resistance." Kakashi was quiet after he finished. Finally, he sighed.

"I worry about you, Sasuke."

"Hn." Kakashi smiled lightly, before leaving the office, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Sasuke had spent the entire day before visiting with his brother – catching up on lost time. Even with a hangover, Itachi seemed excited to talk about both of their lives since he'd left for France. Sasuke told him about all of his successes – in school, in the Schutzstaffel, though when he tried to think of any others he found himself coming up short. Itachi talked about his life – the small jobs to pay for food, bouncing from street to apartment numerous times... it made Sasuke's stomach sick. Itachi seemed to only wave it off, though, explaining that he was doing better than he had been when he'd first arrived in Paris. He then introduced Sasuke to Kisame – his boyfriend.

It was a tough pill for Sasuke to swallow. He'd spent years persecuting homosexuals, enforcing the government's stance on the perversion of sexuality. He threw away all of the mixed feelings and opinions he'd been taught to feel about homosexuals, though, when Itachi sensed his discomfort and began to backtrack. Seeing his brother be ashamed of himself simply for his sake made him open his mind to it all. He even admitted that he'd be lying if the thought of himself ever having such tendencies weren't slightly true – in his dedication to success, he'd let his social and romantic life go neglected. And, without having had a single girlfriend in his entire life, nor any desire to pursue one, the thought of having an interest in certain _other _persuasions had crept into his mind as a possibility. He'd chalked it up to asexuality, however, and explained to Itachi that, given the atmosphere of his career, any relationship – gay or otherwise, and especially the decision of his sexuality that would come with it – was simply not something he had the time or energy for.

Following Itachi's introduction, Kisame and Sasuke had made it no secret that they were sizing each other up. Kisame seemed to be civil for Itachi's sake, though was quick to point out Sasuke's employment by a brutal and inhuman establishment, particularly one that had thrown his brother aside to die on the streets of Paris. Sasuke, in turn, was quick to hit below the belt by bringing up the environment that Kisame provided for Itachi to live in. Itachi knew it was best to let the two have their time to prove themselves, and, sure enough, Sasuke and Kisame had come to the mutual understanding that each had a deep love for the elder Uchiha brother.

After becoming sure of the man's genuine intentions, Sasuke found himself coming to like Kisame. He worked as a mechanic at the fishing docks, fixing boat engines and dock equipment. The apartment belonged to him, and after the two had met, Itachi, who had been on the streets at the time, moved in with him. Apparently they'd been together for a year and a half, and things were going well. Sasuke would admit – if they'd met anywhere else, he wouldn't have noticed some of the better qualities in him. But he loved his brother – they had that in common – and he seemed to take care of Itachi almost as good as Sasuke ever would. He seemed like the type who would keep Itachi safe from any kind of danger – even from soldiers.

Sasuke's thoughts drifted to the blond from the night before. As much as he hated to admit it, Kakashi was right – the blond made all the difference. Had he not seemed so _helpless_, laying on the ground in a ball trying to survive each kick... it was disgusting how they could find something like that entertaining. They deserved what they got, and more. Had he not been tired from a day of catching up with Itachi, their night would have been much worse than it was.

He couldn't help himself from wondering how the blond he'd saved was. The look he'd seen on the other's face wouldn't seem to leave the back of his mind. It was so full of... hope? Innocence? Sasuke wasn't sure, but he knew he wanted to see it again. He decided to pay them a visit after he was done with his work – but a quick look at the stack of papers he still had to go through made him realize just how long that would be.

* * *

It took Sasuke hours to finish his work – it was already dark by the time he managed to escape his office. And just as he was turning to walk towards the area of town his brother and object of interest lived, he heard a sound that made his gut wrench:

"Sasuke!" He walked a little faster, hoping Kakashi would be too lazy to follow. He was, as always, unlucky – and the man was by his side before he could put any kind of distance between the two.

"Go away, Kakashi." he ground out, but the silver-haired superior only smiled, showing no signs of leaving.

"Don't be like that, Sasuke! I've decided to walk with you."

"I'm not going back to the hotel." Sasuke turned to gauge the man's reaction, only to find he was staring down the raven with out of the corner of his eye, a knowing smile hidden by his mask.

"I didn't assume you were. The way I see it, it's my job – _as your superior_ –" he added, "to be aware of any persons or objects that might distract you from your duties. Including the thief from last night." Sasuke stopped mid-step, staring at Kakashi in disbelief. Kakashi seemed to revel in the reaction.

"You _were_ going to visit him, weren't you?" Sasuke choked for an answer, but, in lack of any decent response, instead chose to continue walking, a glare fixed on his face as he stared at the sidewalk in front of him. Silence passed between the two as Sasuke tried to remember the way – the streets of Paris were still unfamiliar to him. He finally seemed to get his bearings, when suddenly Kakashi offered a suggestion.

"Why not take him a gift?"

"Like what?" Kakashi thought for a moment, tapping his chin.

"I don't know, food or something." he said with a shrug.

"I thought there was food rationing. I don't have any food tickets. And I don't feel like threatening some coward store clerk just for a loaf of bread." Sasuke watched Kakashi out of the corner of his eye.

"We can stop by the supply depot. If I remember correctly, there should be one somewhere along the way." Sasuke stopped, beginning to get angry.

"How the hell do you know what the 'way' is!" Kakashi only offered the smile that annoyed Sasuke so much, before he continued walking. Sasuke clenched his teeth, and began walking as well. Sure enough, it wasn't much further before they came to a small military supply depot. With the two still in uniform, it wasn't any trouble for them to gain access. Kakashi stood by the gate while Sasuke looked over the boxes filled with various items – guns, ammunition, flour, sugar... finally, he found a box filled with soup. After checking the contents, he found a can of chicken soup. He remembered that when he was sick, his mother would make him chicken soup.

Showing the supply clerk the soup, he was given instruction on filling out various papers. Finally, after filling out and signing three different papers – all for a single can of chicken soup – he made his way once again to the neighborhood his brother, and the blond from the night before, lived. Down various streets, around numerous corners, finally the two uniformed men began entering what Sasuke remembered as the neighborhood. Trash and rubble lined the streets. Large areas of blood stained the walls – most likely from executions. Neither of the men commented on the signs of military occupation.

After finding the spot where he'd rescued the blond, he walked the same course he'd taken to get to the apartment building. Along the way, Sasuke pulled his hat down further, to shield his eyes from the flickering street lights. As they approached the building, the sound of gunshots echoed in the distance. The two entered the building without a word.

Finding the apartment, Sasuke knocked on the door. It was a few seconds before they could hear footsteps, and the man from the night before slowly opened the door. Sasuke, in his rush to get the blond comfortable, hadn't noticed that the man wore his hair in a ponytail. Nor had he noticed the pink scar that ran across the bridge of his nose. The man peered through the wide crack in the door.

"Can I help you?" he asked, and it was only then that Sasuke realized how it must seem to a civilian to be answering his door to two soldiers in the middle of the night. He pulled off his hat, hoping the man would recognize him. He seemed to, with a mumbled sound of recognition behind the door as he closed it and removed the latch, before opening the door all the way and allowing the two into the apartment.

"I'm sorry, I just didn't recognize you at first. I didn't know you were a..." he seemed to stumble on the choice of words, before finally settling on, "soldier." The man seemed to eye the two. Sasuke was used to people looking at him in fear. What caught him off guard, however, was the sudden charisma of Kakashi, as he stepped forward and began introducing himself to the man.

"Yes, my name is Colonel Hatake, but please – call me Kakashi." he said, before finally adding, "Oh, and this is Lieutenant Uchiha." Sasuke glared at the man who'd introduced him dismissively.

"Sasuke." he added with a nod.

"Ah..." the man let out. "My name is Iruka Umino, it's nice to meet you. I take it you've come to see Naruto?" Before Sasuke could even open his mouth to respond, the can of soup he'd forgotten he was holding was wrenched out of his grip.

"We've brought soup." Kakashi stated, his eyes squinting slightly from the width of his smile. Sasuke only stared at him in disbelief. Iruka smiled, taking the offered can.

"Thank you, it's much appreciated. Naruto is in the bedroom, through that door." Sasuke knew which door – he'd brought the blond into and put him there – but before he could make a move, Kakashi had stepped to his side and shoved him in the general direction.

"Take your time, Sasuke, I'll be here talking with – Iruka, was it?" Disgusted by the actions of his superior, he quietly entered the bedroom, closing the door to the sounds of the Kakashi's rambling, idle chatter. He looked to see the one he'd been thinking of underneath thing covers, his body trembling . He walked to the side of the bed – as he got closer, he noticed bruises all over the blond's neck and face, the split lip, though cleaned of the dried blood, looked awful. Each breath brought more trembling; the chest rising and falling unsteadily in an uneasy, uncomfortable sleep. Looking down at the cheeks, he noticed scars – lines, three on each side, almost like whiskers. They looked old. Sasuke couldn't help reaching down to trace his thumb along them.

Blue eyes, dulled by pain, shot open – Sasuke pulled his hand back. The two stared at each other for a moment; Sasuke watched as the blue eyes, probably brilliant when not tired and cloudy, blinked and squinted, before finally Sasuke heard a gasp, and watched as the eyes widened, painted with fear.

"You!" Sasuke offered a nervous smile. "You're a... Nazi?"

Sasuke wasn't the most patriotic person – his loyalty to his country and to the Third Reich was mostly born out of familial duty. But his stomach knotted – his heart sank – at the blond's reaction. For the first time in years, the awful, sickening feelings of guilt and shame crept through his chest, filling his head with a fog. He broke his eye contact with the blue eyes, instead drilling a hole into the thin blanket covering the small, trembling form.

"Yeah..." was all he offered, before he finally attempted to change the subject. "I came to see how you were feeling." The eyes became muddled with emotion – confusion, nervousness, happiness, fear... the body shifted uncomfortably, before cringing in pain.

"Hurts... but, better I guess." Sasuke nodded, a sadness still lingering in him from the other's reaction. "Hey, look. Uhhh... thanks, you know? For saving me." Sasuke forced a gentle smile – at least, he hoped it was a smile. He found facial expressions to be an area of difficulty for him.

"You're welcome."

"Why did you do it, though?" Blue eyes watched carefully, waiting for an answer. Sasuke thought for a moment, unsure how to answer. It didn't take long for him to realize that he didn't have one; he didn't even have an answer that would pass as flimsy. Instead, he settled for shrugging.

"I don't know." It was the truth. He _didn't_ know. "Someone had to." he added after a moment. Some of the fear, the smallest of amounts, seemed to fade from the blue eyes at his added comment. Then, spikes of blond hair whipped around as the head shook.

"No. No one's ever done anything like that for me before. Most people just walk by and pretend not to look. And I can't believe it was... another kraut, you know?" Sasuke flinched inside at the familiar term. "I mean, I remember them calling you 'Sir', but it's just... I guess I knew. But it's different. When you were just normal, it was one thing. But seeing you in uniform..." he trailed off, awkwardness clear on his face. When the renewed feelings of shame lightened, a thought suddenly shot through his mind.

"You mean that kind of thing's happened before?" The other scoffed.

"That kind of thing happens all the time." Sasuke's stared off, deep in thought. The blond added, "And I mean, usually the soldiers stick together, you know? If a patrol comes along when it's happening, they just walk by. Sometimes they've joined in though..."

"You must be different." Sasuke was surprised, and was greeted with an uncomfortable, but genuine, smile. "And, you must be strong too! That was a really good punch! And you were strong enough to carry me all the way here! I couldn't have done that!" Warmth spread through his chest at the compliments.

"I... brought you some soup." he said. The face seemed to brighten.

"Thanks! We were getting a little low on food..." he said, becoming quiet from his own words.

"What about your food tickets?" Blue eyes looked up at him, surprised, but then looked down again.

"Iruka has enough of those to feed the entire neighborhood for a month. They don't help much when the stores don't have any food to use the tickets for. Iruka tried to find us something for tonight, but no one had anything. I'm glad you brought the soup, because no he won't be sad that he couldn't get us something for dinner!" Sasuke couldn't imagine living like it seemed the two Frenchmen did – scrambling for food day-to-day. A nervous habit, he checked his watch, noting that it was 10:30. Looking up, he noticed a sad look in the blue eyes – he couldn't seem to stop looking into them. They were so... deep. Like oceans.

"It's alright if you have to leave. It is getting kind of late, I guess." Sasuke realized what he must have thought when he saw him checking his watch, and quickly shook his head.

"No, it's not that. I was just checking the time." The bruised face seemed to brighten.

"So you can stay!" Sasuke nodded.

"Yeah, I can stay for a little while longer."

_If you want_...

"You... never told me your name. I asked you, but you didn't answer." Sasuke watched, and felt his breath seem to leave him when the eyes turned on him, watching, _begging_.

"My name is Sasuke – Sasuke Uchiha." Teeth flashed in a toothy grin.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki!"

* * *

Sasuke stayed another hour talking – but it felt like it hadn't even been ten minutes. Sasuke listened to Naruto talk about his friends, about his various adventures over the past week, about his favorite food... ramen. Sasuke didn't talk much. He mentioned his brother, who Naruto seemed to know. The rest of the time was spent discussing Itachi. Apparently the two had met when Naruto had been scrounging for food, when Itachi offered to make him some food back in his apartment.

Sasuke found himself listening intently to all of the stories Naruto had of Itachi – brotherly pride swelled in his chest as he listened to all of the times Itachi had helped the people of the neighborhood. He often gave food to neighbors, helped find medical help for people with various wounds, or even helped find people thrown out of their homes places to stay – with people he knew, or finding them cheaper apartments they might be able to afford. Naruto had only good things to say about Itachi, and Kisame – who helped people of the neighborhood move furniture, or fix their cars. The two were well known by people in the area.

The two also talked about trivial things – favorite colors, favorite seasons, favorite weather... Sasuke avoided discussing his childhood for fear of it being too depressing to talk about. He wanted to make a good impression. And every time the conversation neared discussing Naruto's life, sadness would flash in his eyes, and Sasuke would quickly changed the subject. From what small pieces of information he picked up – Naruto had no parents, Iruka had been a teacher who had taken him in and raised him, and before he moved in with Iruka on a permanent basis, he'd spent time on the streets.

It was 11:30 when Sasuke could tell Naruto was beginning to fall asleep. He said goodbye, and stood to leave – but Naruto stopped him before he opened the door.

"Hey, Sasuke?" Sasuke turned his head. "Will I get to see you again soon?" Surprised at the question, he thought for a moment. Finally, he nodded his head.

"How about I come again tomorrow?" Naruto smiled.

"I'd like that..." Naruto yawned, and Sasuke chuckled at the sight.

"Goodnight, Naruto."

"Night, Sasuke."

Sasuke opened the door and walked out, closing the door before taking in the sight in front of him.

From their positions on the couch, Sasuke could tell they'd just pulled apart – Iruka sat blushing, head turned looking into the corner, as Kakashi sat with a look of complete contentment on his face, much like a wolf who'd just had a good meal.

"Did you have a good visit?" Sasuke scoffed in annoyance as Kakashi attempted to play innocence.

"I did. It seems you did as well." Sasuke made his way for the door untucking his hat from underneath his arm. He waited as Kakashi straightened his hair and shirt, which were apparently messed with during his "visit", and made his way towards the door.

"Thank you for the hospitality, Mr. Umino. If it's alright with you, I told Naruto I'd come visit him tomorrow?" Iruka smiled nervously, a blush still tinting his cheeks.

"If it's alright with Naruto, it's alright with me." Kakashi coughed.

"Yes, _Iruka_, thank you for your _hospitality_." he growled huskily. Sasuka glared at Kakashi, who didn't even notice – he was too busy focusing a heated leer on Iruka. "If you don't mind, I'd like to come with Sasuke to visit tomorrow. I very much enjoyed our... _conversation_. Your company is quite pleasant." Iruka's blush was a deep red, and he nodded quietly. Kakashi chuckled, before turning to open the door. Sasuke stepped out first. Kakashi threw one last comment over his shoulder before closing the door behind him:

"Until tomorrow, Iruka." Sasuke walked away, a gagging feeling in his throat at the sight. Kakashi caught up quickly.

"You know, I'm glad I came with you tonight. Some of the sights here in Paris are well worth the walk with a friend."

"You know, homosexuality is illegal." Kakashi wasn't fazed.

"Only if you're caught, Sasuke."

"Since when do you like men!" Kakashi sighed.

"Sasuke, it's not about 'men' or 'women' – pleasant company and a warm, fine piece of ass is something I enjoy wherever I find it." Sasuke let out a harsh breath.

"With all of that damn porn you read all the time, I can believe that."

"Icha Icha Paradise is not _porn_, Sasuke! It's adult literature." Sasuke waved his hand dismissively, a sign that he was about to tune out the impending defense of Kakashi's favorite hobby.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Family Business  
**Tycho Kouros

"Shikamaru! Choji!

Naruto sat up as his two friends entered the room. Choji, a friend of both Naruto and Shikamaru's, leaned up against the wall, while Shikamaru took a spot at the foot of the bed.

"Hey, Naruto. How're you feeling?" Shikamaru asked, looking carefully over his friend's battered body, bandages carefully wrapped around the tanned chest.

"I'm feeling better. Iruka won't let me up out of the bed though. He says I need my rest for my ribs to heal properly." Naruto released a deep sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly.

"Geez, what a drag..."

"I'm bored out of my mind! Please tell me you have something interesting to tell me about!"

"Not really. The Nazis have been cracking down on people lately. Because of the new officers, I think. They're trying to prove themselves or something." Naruto glanced down with a look of disappointment on his face, but looked up again suddenly – hopeful.

"What about work! Has anything –"

"Naruto, what's this? It smells good." Choji interrupted, analyzing the empty bowl Iruka had prepared Naruto soup in.

"Oh! Yeah, the guy that saved me came by last night and brought me some soup. He's some big-shot kraut or something. He's really nice though! He even said he'll come by again tonight!" The air seemed to change as Shikamaru and Choji both stared at Naruto – silent. Choji slowly put the bowl back on the small nightstand and returned to his spot against the wall. Shikamaru cleared his throat awkwardly.

"The man who saved you is a Nazi soldier?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yeah. Well, he was dressed kind of different than the soldiers you see on the streets. But he was a Nazi, yeah. But really! He was nice!"

"Naruto, they aren't 'nice'! None of them! He's using you!" Choji said angrily. Shikamaru pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Troublesome..."

"Will you guys calm down? I'm not as dumb as you think I am! He's not 'using' me, either. He's really nice. Or else he wouldn't have saved me, right?" Shikamaru and Choji shared a glance, but neither answered immediately.

"Have you told him anything?" Shikamaru asked carefully.

"No!"

"Still... I don't know, Naruto. This seems...–"

"Dangerous." Choji finished.

"Guys, look. He's Itachi's brother, okay? If he's _Itachi's_ brother, then he can't be half bad. Right?" Shikamaru seemed to look slightly more at ease, but Choji was largely unfazed.

"I guess... just be careful, alright?" Naruto laughed as gently, cutting it off prematurely with a breath when his ribs throbbed with pain.

"I'm _always_ careful, Shikamaru!" Naruto was met with an unimpressed look.

"That's why I worry about you, Naruto." he answered. Choji laughed, while Naruto did his best to seem angry – though his smile at the joke betrayed him. "Look, we just stopped by to see how you were. Is there anything we can do for you?" Naruto cast a careful glance over to Choji, whose parents owned a local restaurant.

"Food? Please?"

"Yeah, sure. You want ramen like usual?" Choji asked. Naruto nodded his head enthusiastically. "I'll bring it tomorrow."

"Thanks, Choji! You're a lifesaver!" He merely waved it off. The three said their goodbyes, and Naruto found himself alone – again. With nothing else to do, he reluctantly lowered himself back into bed, and tried to sleep.

* * *

When Naruto woke, he could tell it was sometime in the evening – the city had a certain feeling about it. With the strictly enforced curfew, Paris all but shut down by 10 – for fear of even the slightest possibility they'd be unprepared for the curfew, beginning at 11. Shutters were to be closed, the streets were to be cleared – failure to comply was suicide.

The noise of street-going was absent, one of the more immediately recognizable aspects of the Paris night air. But, if Naruto thought about it, the gunshots of firefight and execution got louder – more easily heard against the stillness of curfew. Indeed, the crack of a sniper's shot rang clearly through the air, echoing off of the silence. He shuddered; sniper fire reminded him of lightning, the lingering echo like the rumble of thunder. Naruto hated storms. He always had, ever since he was young. He sat up, taking a deep breath to clear himself of the fear that threatened to spread.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." said a calm, rich voice. He knew who it was immediately – only one person he knew had that amount of eloquence even when speaking casually.

"Hey, Itachi!" There, leaning by the door, was Itachi; a warm, gentle smile on his face.

"How do you feel?" Naruto sat up, gently testing his wounds.

"I'm really sore. My rib hurts the worst though." Itachi stepped forward, bringing a hand to Naruto's face and gently pressing on one of the bruises. Naruto clenched his jaw at the slight pain.

"Your bruises are healing, at least. You always have been a fast healer." he said, leaning back against the wall again. Naruto couldn't help but notice that the smile was missing now, but he brushed it off to Itachi focusing on checking Naruto's wounds for himself. Naruto knew that Itachi had always been smart – he probably could be a doctor, if he wanted. But as far as he knew, doctors needed a degree. Naruto, however, would trust Itachi with or without one.

"So do you think I'll be able to get out of bed soon?" he asked with some excitement. Itachi looked down at him and chuckled.

"I suppose so. Knowing you, in a week you'll be up to your usual mischief."

"A _week_!" Itachi smiled as he nodded.

"You should be grateful, Naruto. Most people are off their feet much longer for a broken bone to heal. But you've always been determined." Naruto smiled at the compliment. "Or stubborn," Itachi added playfully, "or maybe both. I've never fully understood it."

"Hey!" Naruto pouted, and Itachi laughed at him gently. But, again, Naruto watched as the smile faded into the look of thought tinged with sadness that he'd come to know as Itachi's standard expression. But something was even deeper than that. Something was on his mind.

"Itachi, are you alright?" Itachi closed his eyes, nodding lightly. He didn't answer immediately. But, after a moment of silence, he met Naruto's gaze and nodded once again – more firmly.

"I'm fine. I've just had a lot on my mind lately."

"Oh... is it about Sasuke?" Naruto was worried he'd said something wrong when Itachi stared at him wordlessly, mouth gaping slightly.

"H-how do you know about him?" Itachi asked shakily.

"He's the one who saved me! Didn't he tell you?" Itachi shook his head, relaxing a bit.

"No. I didn't see him yesterday. He was busy with work, I suppose." Naruto thought he heard something sad, something longing, in Itachi's voice.

"You know, he said he'd come by again tonight! If you stay, maybe you'll see him!" Itachi watched Naruto closely, deep in though. Then he smiled, and nodded.

"Maybe. And if not, I'm sure I'll see him whenever he has time."

"What exactly does he do?" Naruto asked, knowing it might not be the best question to ask at the time – but he was curious, and Itachi might know. Itachi nodded slowly. Naruto was surprised when Itachi moved from the wall to sit by him on the bed.

"I'm exactly sure of his duties, but he's in the Schutzstaffel. It's... hard to explain. They're technically the police force of Germany, but they've outgrown that definition. They're a lot like government agents in a way, while also being police." Itachi let out a sigh, running a tired hand down his face. "Do you kind of get what I'm saying?" Naruto nodded slowly.

"So he's not a soldier?"

"Not technically, no. But most of the soldiers you see around here aren't actually _soldiers_ – that's the Wehrmacht. The soldiers you see around here are in the SS, just like Sasuke."

"Oh. Well, he must be really important, right? Because the night he saved me, he was bossing the guys around!" Itachi nodded slightly.

"He... has weight to throw around."

"And he brought me food, too!" Itachi smiled.

"He must really like you then. I think you'll be good for him, Naruto. Sasuke never really had many friends his own age. Just remember something – his work and his personal time are very different, Naruto. The only reason I mention it is because I don't want you to get hurt thinking that they're the same. Not because of Sasuke, but because of the others. You need to treat any others he may be with as people that want to hurt both him and you. Sasuke is an exception, not the norm."

"I understand."

"Naruto!" The door swung open and a thin form dressed in clothes a few sizes too big ran in. Black hair swung forward as the body came to a stop.

"Haku!" Thin arms wrapped around him gently, careful to avoid his wounds.

"Naruto, I heard about what happened! I'm so sorry!" The blond waved it off.

"You know they can't me down for long!" Haku laughed slightly.

He was one of Naruto's best friends – they'd met years ago. Both were orphans, and met one winter on the streets. Naruto had barely been managing, but Haku seemed to be a natural at surviving in the cold environment. He taught Naruto tricks for finding shelter, finding warmth, finding food, or even drinkable, unfrozen water. The two remained close, though a year later Haku met Zabuza. Zabuza was an assassin and mercenary – a career choice that provided well. Haku was working in a bar when they met, and Zabuza was quick to rescue him.

He had intended to train Haku for use in his assassinations, but the two ended up in a relationship instead. Zabuza refused for him to be involved in such dangerous work. Nonetheless, Haku followed Zabuza everywhere – even on international missions. But lately, Zabuza had been working around Paris – working for the Resistance for free. Zabuza and Kisame had known each other growing up, and Kisame convinced him to help fight against the occupation. Haku did his part as well, though mainly doing odd jobs – distracting patrols, stealing papers or ammunition, anything to help make missions go smoother.

"I think Kisame wanted you, Itachi. Zabuza has something he needs to talk to you two about." Itachi nodded and left, leaving the two friends alone to talk.

* * *

Itachi walked into the room to see a stern-faced Zabuza – sterner than usual, he supposed. What truly surprised him was the upset Kisame, who met him with a sad look. He immediately knew something was wrong. Kisame dropped his eyes to the floor when he spoke.

"They executed some of the others today. They... burned them alive. Then hung up the bodies for people to see..." Itachi was quiet for a moment, mind racing. Then, without a word, he stepped forward into an embrace with Kisame.

"God..."

"It's this new officer – he's a psychopath... I've never seen bodies so fucked up." Zabuza commented. The clinking of glasses came behind them, and Itachi suddenly pulled away.

"We should take this somewhere else. Iruka doesn't need to hear this; it's not his problem."

"No. I'm fine. This is my city, my home. So it _is_ my problem. I may not be on the front lines, but the least I can do is give you give you a place to be comfortable." Iruka held a glass of water, which Kisame accepted.

"Zabuza, I think the best option might be to for you to deal with this officer as soon as possible. Do we know his name?" Kisame asked. Itachi kept his eyes locked on the floor.

"No. We haven't been able to get our hands on the list of officers who just transferred. And I think it's better to wait until we can strike at this guy instead of blindly lashing out. Just so they don't have a chance to tighten security before we can deal with him."

"We should stay as quiet as possible for a few days and prepare for a strike with visibility while they think their plan worked." Itachi said, eyes never leaving the ground.

"But if they think their plan worked, they'll kill more prisoners, right?" Kisame asked. Itachi shook his head.

"They'll kill them anyways. It can't be helped. If we're too visible when too weak, we won't stand a chance. We need to strike out of the shadows for as long as possible. We can't fight an army on an army's level – we have to bring them down to ours. We know the city better; that's our advantage." Itachi said. Kisame saw the pain in his face, and pulled him against his chest.

"Itachi, will you be alright?" The man nodded slowly, drawing in a deep breath.

"I just can't help thinking that something will happen to Sasuke during all of this."

"Sasuke!" The three men quickly turned to the now terrified Iruka. "He's coming tonight!" Itachi only shrugged.

"I know, Naruto told me."

"But his superior is coming with him!"

"Shit." Kisame made his way for the door, Itachi close behind.

"Haku! Get your ass out here!" Zabuza yelled.

"I'm so sorry, I should have remembered this!" Itachi began to put the teacher's mind at ease, but everyone in the room froze when Kisame opened the door to leave. Standing in the hallway, hand still raised to knock, was Kakashi and Sasuke. Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Itachi?"


	5. Chapter 5

**The Family Business  
**Tycho Kouros

Sasuke let his fist drop to his side, carefully analyzing the room – his brother, Iruka, Kisame, and an unfamiliar face; a muscled, rough man, his face bandaged chaotically. As the door to Naruto's bedroom opened, he studied this new addition as well – a small figure, immediately recognized by Sasuke as a female, with long, dark hair. However, upon seeing Sasuke, the physical reaction was very male; a vicious glare, with a slight movement of the chest outward and shoulders back, though the position relaxed almost immediately in submission as he walked beside the new man.

The man seemed to size both he and Kakashi up as well. The silence of the tense situation was broken by Kakashi, as he pushed past Sasuke and into the room.

"Ah, Iruka. My moments without you have been absolutely empty!" All of the attention in the room seemed to be on the way Kakashi approached Iruka – the way he seemed totally oblivious to the others in the room. But Sasuke knew better; he knew that Kakashi was fully aware of what was happening, just like he knew that Kakashi didn't care, so long as he got what he wanted. Sasuke was surprised, however, when the others merely watched him flagrantly move upon the the man with no reaction whatsoever. Sasuke knew as well as anyone that Kakashi played the fool, hiding his true capabilities, so he shouldn't have been surprised that Kakashi had succeeded in pressing his luck yet again.

Sasuke followed Kakashi, watching as the man dragged the longer haired guest behind him and out the door. Kisame nodded towards Sasuke with a weak smile, before heading towards the door, stopping to glance back at Itachi.

"I'll catch up." Kisame nodded, leaving the four men alone.

"You have to excuse them," Iruka explained, "but soldiers make all Parisians nervous. Especially soldiers visiting a citizen's apartment so close to curfew. It..."

"Is usually the cause of citizens disappearing in the middle of the night." Itachi finished, giving a apologetic glance to Sasuke. "We're very protective of our neighbors because of this. We were here visiting Naruto. We take one of our own being hurt as a personal offense; especially when the injured persons are close to us. Iruka and Naruto are _very_ close to us."

"I'm sorry, but you are?" Sasuke glared at Kakashi, who seemed to have a feigned civility in his eye – just barely transparent enough to allow a protective intention show through. Itachi seemed to take it in stride – in true Uchiha fashion. Sasuke could see a hint of himself in Itachi as his brother smirked slightly, his posture seeming to reflect a superiority without any obvious change – it was almost as if the air had changed.

"Itachi." Sasuke wasn't surprised when Kakashi didn't show any reaction. The silver-haired man had never shown any reaction to Sasuke's attempts, and was probably immune to even Itachi's ability by now. He _was_ surprised when Kakashi seemed to recognize something familiar in Itachi.

"Itachi..."

" – is his name." Sasuke cut in. He cast Itachi a tired look, an unspoken apology, but Itachi only smiled.

"I should be heading back. It's getting late." Itachi began to head for the door, but Sasuke stopped him.

"Wait. I... can walk you back." he choked out, clenching his jaw at the feeling of vulnerability. Kakashi seemed to view the offer as an admission of defeat, taking that moment to claim his victory.

"How very _brotherly_ of you, Sasuke. Yes, Itachi, please – stay. I'd love to learn more about you." Sasuke made a hasty retreat into the bedroom.

* * *

"Sasuke!" He watched as the blond sat up quickly in excitement – and was forced back down just as fast when his body was slammed with pain. "Damn..." Sasuke walked up to the side of the bid, crouching down to be eye level.

"How are you feeling?" Naruto seemed to grin through his gritted teeth, a bitter chuckle slipping between deep breaths.

"Better. Itachi says I'll be out of bed in a week, maybe!" Sasuke smiled gently, nodding.

"I'm glad." After a few moments of silence, Sasuke noticed that Naruto didn't carry on the conversation with the same energy he had during the earlier visit. "Naruto?"

"Do you kill people?" Ocean blue eyes locked onto his – penetrating him. The question was so sudden that Sasuke felt himself unable to answer immediately. The answer was simple – yes. He killed people. He'd killed people before, and he'd kill people again. It's what he did – it's what his family did. Except Itachi. Suddenly, looking into the ocean blue eyes waiting for an answer, thinking of his brother – the answer wasn't so simple.

"I... have. Before. It's not a hobby or anything. I mean... yes." Sasuke caught himself babbling, and quickly cut himself off. Naruto seemed to think hard about the answer, staring somewhere over Sasuke's shoulder.

"Why?" Sasuke was beginning to get uncomfortable with where the questions were leading, but thought carefully before answering the question anyways.

"Because some people were doing things that they weren't supposed to, and I was told to stop them. Naruto, what is this–"

"If I was doing something I wasn't supposed to be doing, would you kill me?"

"No." The answer came so fast it surprised even Sasuke. He hadn't thought – he'd already said it by the time the question had registered. But watching Naruto analyzing him, he allowed a gentle smile and reaffirmed his answer. "Never. But what is this about?" Naruto's eyebrows furrowed in thought, before his usual smile reappeared and all seriousness was gone from the room.

"It's nothing, I guess I've just been in this bed too long and it's making me think about things too much." Naruto waved off with a laugh, but the conversation still bothered Sasuke. He nodded quietly, listening with half-interest as the blond babbled on.

"So, what's the rest of your family like?" Naruto suddenly asked, watching Sasuke with anticipation. He wasn't sure what to say at first – Naruto was probably expecting an answer about how they were all like Itachi; how his father was nice, how his grandfather was a kind and gentle man...

"They're like me, I guess." Sasuke finally said. He was confused, however, when Naruto smiled and nodded, not seeming to fully understand the answer.

"They must not be that bad then!" When Sasuke stared blankly at him, Naruto clarified, coughing slightly and blushing. "I mean, you're nice. And if they're like you, then..." An unfamiliar warmth spread through Sasuke's chest, his heart feeling as if it had skipped. He smiled, answering the question again.

"That wasn't what I meant. My father is very... busy. He always has been. He tends to be very serious and business-like. My grandfather is the same, in a way. He's not as serious, but he's much more business-like. They're both really powerful in the SS, so..." Naruto was watching him carefully again, clearly deep in thought.

"But you aren't like that." Sasuke shrugged quietly. "You shouldn't think you're like that..." Sasuke couldn't help himself from smiling, and moved himself closer to lean on the bed.

"So how did you end up here? With Iruka I mean?" He felt bad for not having thought the question through enough – Sasuke watched as a quick sting of pain flashed across his Naruto's face, before quickly being covered up again beneath the usual mask of happiness.

"My parents died before I was born. Well, my mom died giving birth to me. But my father died a few months before, in that war – the, uhhh... one with Syria. Yeah, that's the one. And they didn't know what to do with me, so they put me in an orphanage. I spent a few years there, and on the streets. The orphanage was really bad, so I'd run away a lot. Then they'd find me, send me back, and I'd leave again. Then one time, when I was seven, I ran away in the middle of winter because they didn't have enough food or something. There were a lot of kids in the orphanage after that big war, you know? Anyways, so I couldn't find any food anywhere else, and finally tried a school. I figured that maybe the lunch ladies would have some leftovers to give me or something. They were really nice. They gave me a sandwich and some water, and they let me get warm by the stove. So while I was doing that, a few of them went around and asked any teachers if they knew anything they could do other than send me back to the orphanage. Iruka offered, since he said he lived by himself and had the room for me. And he told me later that he was an orphan too, so he said he knew what I was going through and felt like it was his duty to help. He got me caught up in my education by teaching me things every night. And, so... here I am. I've pretty much stayed here since then." Sasuke didn't say anything – he _couldn't _say anything. He stared into Naruto's eyes, surprised at how numb they were. He'd been through so much, and yet he could talk about it as if he was talking about the weather or what he'd eaten for breakfast.

"Sorry..." was all he could manage, but Naruto only shrugged.

"No reason to be. I'm fine now. I have Iruka, and I have really good friends, and a safe place to sleep at night. Things are pretty good now." Sasuke couldn't argue with the smile on Naruto's face. The sounds of gunfire broke the silence, bringing Sasuke's happy vacation from reality to an end.

"I guess I should get going. I still need to walk Itachi back." He stood to leave, but a hand grabbed his and held firm.

"Visit me again?" Sasuke squeezed the hand gently, hodding.

"I promise." Naruto smiled – a yawn taking its place instead. "Get some sleep." Sasuke added with a chuckle.

* * *

Sasuke closed the door behind him quietly. When he looked up, he found himself being stared at by the three men. Itachi smiled gently, as if to put his mind at ease. It failed, however, given that Kakashi was grinning like a total idiot. He could tell that whatever their conversation had consisted of would haunt him for months. He walked towards the door, wanting to distance himself from Kakashi. Kakashi would have none of it, though.

"Sasuke, I wish I'd met your brother sooner. Some of the childhood stories he has makes me think of you in a completely new way! It explains so much! For example, I never knew you didn't like milk after having an accident trying to pour yourself a glass when you were three!" Sasuke clenched his jaw, trying to keep himself from going for the man's throat. He turned to Itachi, who only shrugged.

"He's persuasive." was all he said, apparently deciding that it was enough of a reason to hand over secrets to the enemy. All Sasuke could do was sigh and head for the door.

"Come on, I still need to walk you home." Itachi stood and followed his brother to the door, waving a silent goodbye to Iruka and Kakashi. Sasuke, expecting Kakashi to follow him, turned to see the man already on the couch next to Iruka. Noticing Sasuke, he smiled – a smile that was nothing short of predatory.

"You can handle it, Sasuke. There are... _things_ I'd like to discuss with Iruka." Sasuke quickly shut the door, not wanting to see any more of the molestation than he had to.

"He seems to have a soft spot for Iruka." Itachi said. Sasuke snorted.

"He has a soft spot for anyone or thing he thinks he can get somewhere with." Itachi chuckled at the comment.

"Maybe. Though, I guess I should say that Iruka isn't exactly beating him away with a stick. His last relationship didn't end very well, and apparently that was years ago. He hasn't been interested in anyone for as long as I've known him. So he must see something special in your friend."

"He is _not_ my friend!" Sasuke pushed hard on the door to the apartment building as he made the statement, throwing it open.

"He cares for you, Sasuke. He may toy with you, but he takes a great concern in your well-being. You don't know how much of a relief it is to know that you have someone watching out for you in your workplace." Itachi said with a sudden seriousness.

"... I know." Sasuke finally relented. "I know that if I really needed him, he would be there to fight alongside me." Walking down the street next to Itachi, Sasuke suddenly found himself feeling like a child again – when he and Itachi would walk home together after school. Old emotions were bubbling up. And Sasuke couldn't complain – it was better to have his brother back than to think Itachi hated him. He much preferred the feelings of security.

"I don't think you ever told me. What exactly is it that you do here?" Itachi asked.

"Nothing important, really. I just work in administration – making sure people are doing their jobs, making sure supplies are being used appropriately, making sure things are running efficiently. You know, just keeping people from slacking off or fucking up too bad. It's mainly just a lot of inspections and paperwork." Sasuke said, heaving a deep sigh. "It's... boring. But other than being a lot of tedious work, I can't complain."

"You're safe, and that's all that matters to me." Itachi said. It was those kinds of comments that made Sasuke feel proud – proud to have a brother like Itachi. Proud to have Itachi again.

"So tell me about Naruto." Itachi suddenly said, changing the subject. "He says you've been visiting him every day." Sasuke nodded, looking around the dim street.

"Some guards were attacking him, and I took him home. And then I decided to check up on him. He's asked me to keep visiting him, so I have."

"It sounds like he considers you a good friend then." Sasuke gave Itachi a questioning look. "He hasn't been treated very well by the soldiers. Granted, he hasn't been treated very well by most people he's come across in his life. But the men stationed here seem to take a special interest in giving him trouble. He's made an exception for you, and that says a lot about his opinion of you." Sasuke suddenly began feeling hot. He couldn't explain it.

"He said I'm nice." Sasuke said, his breath beginning to feel shaky.

"You are. You always have been." Itachi said, and Sasuke could feel the heat begin to make him sweat. "... Sasuke?"

"He makes me feel things." Sasuke began. "He's like a ray of sunshine in the middle of a rainstorm. And even when he told me about his life, he covered it up with a smile. Even when he's in pain, he smiles. He... makes me happy, you know? I can be having a bad day, people being stupid and making me clean up their messes or something, and I'll think about him. And suddenly things aren't so bad anymore. Do you know what I mean?" Itachi smiled, nodding. They had stopped walking, and Itachi moved to lean against a building.

"Naruto is special in that way. He would jump through hoops to cheer a person up. Or throw himself in front of a tank to save another's life. He hasn't deserved all of the things life has given him –"

"He doesn't deserve me." Sasuke cut in, his gaze burning into the ground.

"You will _never_ say something like that again, do you understand me?" Itachi said angrily, glaring into Sasuke's eyes. "You're an incredible person, Sasuke. And life hasn't been easy for you. I did my best to protect you from everything, but there was only so much I could do. That does _not_ make you worth any less. My failures aren't yours to take the punishment for."

"Aniki..." Sasuke didn't care that he had reverted to his childhood name for his brother. He didn't care that his eyes stung, tears threatening to spill from them. Just like he didn't care that suddenly he was clinging to his brother, hugging him tight. Itachi brought his arms around Sasuke's shoulders, burying his head into Sasuke's hair.

"Naruto will be good for you, Sasuke. You need some happiness. And he needs a friend like you, who will keep him safe and protect him." Sasuke nodded into Itachi's chest. "Just be aware of something. You're right – he is a ray of sunshine in a storm. But you're one of the rain clouds. You're better than them – you'd never hurt him. But you need to be careful that you don't hurt him by doing something you know isn't right. You know what's right and wrong. So listen to your heart, alright?" Sasuke nodded and pulled away, leaning on the wall next to Itachi, quiet for a moment.

"He asked me if I killed people." Itachi didn't comment on the statement, he only listened. Like he'd always done. "I mean, what was I supposed to say? I couldn't lie to him. But I couldn't very well tell him, 'Yes, Naruto. I massacre people. I shoot people in the head and leave their bleeding corpses laying in the street.' But I can't deny it, either..."

"What did you tell him?" Sasuke let out a breath, a part of him comforted by the patience of his brother. It felt that he was confessing to Itachi as much as a conversation about Naruto.

"I said I was told to kill some people who were doing things they weren't supposed to. Which isn't entirely untrue. They were soldiers who'd been caught selling information to the Russians..." Itachi was quiet, staring off into the night sky. "Then he asked if I'd kill him if he were doing stuff he wasn't supposed to. I told him no, and it seemed to put his mind at ease. But he never told me the real reason why he was asking things like that." Itachi shifted, crossing his arms.

"He needed to know that you weren't like the others. You're an exception, Sasuke. There are some soldiers who will give us a bullet between the eyes just for the hell of it. So he probably just needed to hear you say that you weren't tone of them." Sasuke balled his hands into fists, thinking of the soldiers kicking Naruto.

"If I ever found out about it, I'd –"

"I know." Itachi cut in. He gave Sasuke a gentle smile. "I know you would."

"Sorry." Sasuke offered, but Itachi wave it off dismissively.

"It's alright. I've heard the same thing from Kisame dozens of times. It's just different hearing it from my baby brother." he explained. He pushed off of the wall. "We should keep walking. Even with permission, I don't like being out past curfew." Sasuke nodded and followed.

"So how did you and Kisame meet?" It was a question that had been on Sasuke's mind. And now that the two were alone, he felt as if he could ask.

"I'd been here for a few months. It wasn't so bad, living on the streets or in shelters when it was summer or fall. But it was winter, and it's an entirely different level of survival if you don't have some place warm to stay. Since I was new to the concept of being homeless, I didn't know how important it was to find a bed until it was already too late. I tried to live on the streets for a week or two, but it took its toll on me – I was sick, and it had starting snowing regularly. I wandered to different places, getting weaker as I moved around. I was near the docks when I finally collapsed. Kisame was working as a deckhand on a boat at the time, and they got into port some time after I blacked out. When I woke up, he'd moved me to the little room he rented for when he was on shore. He stuck by me for the week or two that it took me to start feeling better. I thanked him, and had planned on leaving, but he refused. He said he couldn't live with himself if he sent me back out into the cold, and I didn't have the strength to argue for very long. So we spent the winter together. We got close, and then before the winter was over we were dating. We've been together ever since." By the time Itachi was finished, Sasuke felt sick. The thought of his brother wandering the streets half-frozen was crushing to him – the brother who read stories to him at night, and let him sleep in his bed whenever he'd have nightmares. The brother who would help him with his homework instead of going out to play with friends.

"Don't think too much about it, Sasuke. Those days are over. I have a warm bed to sleep in, food to eat, a roof over my head... things are stable, now." Sasuke nodded, smiling sadly. Itachi had always been able to tell what he was thinking. Though, there was one thing he wouldn't expect, and Sasuke was curious.

"So, do you and Kisame... you know. _Do stuff?_"

"Sasuke–"

"You're my brother, Itachi, I can handle it." Sasuke added quickly. It was awkward, but it was something that brothers should be able to share. And anyways, it made Itachi uncomfortable, even if only momentarily. Itachi watched Sasuke's face, and finally answered.

"We do. We love each other, Sasuke. It's something we do to express that love." It answered one of Sasuke's questions, but it didn't answer everything like he'd hoped.

"So, do you... you know, like it? I mean, I guess you'd be the one who's... umm..."

"On bottom?" Sasuke nodded quickly, glad he didn't have to say it. Itachi noticed how quickly Sasuke had gone from confident to uncomfortable, and took the chance for payback. "I am. And yes, I do. That's one place where Kisame is very... _gifted_." Itachi couldn't help laugh at the look on Sasuke's face.

"Ok, that's all I wanted to know."

"What's wrong, Sasuke? You're the one who brought it up." Sasuke glared, giving his brother a playful punch to the arm when he realized Itachi's had done it on purpose.

"Come on, Sasuke. I still need to make dinner, and I don't want you walking through this city alone at night." Itachi offered. Sasuke started to protest, but his stomach, angry at him for having skipping dinner, took that exact moment – at the offer of food – to express itself, growling loudly before he could say no. Itachi smiled, and opened the door, ushering his brother inside. "You can have the bed tonight. It's more comfortable. Kisame and I can grab some blankets and sleep on the couch."

"I am _not_ sleeping in the bed where my brother and his boyfriend have sex. _I'll_ take the couch." Sasuke said. Itachi chuckled, shaking his head in amusement.

"The couch won't be any better, if that's your reason." Sasuke paled, staring at him in disbelief.

"Oh, _God..._"


	6. Chapter 6  Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

I hate Author's Notes...

Other people can write them for all I care. But I don't like needing to say anything. I like my stories to speak for themselves.

But anyways, I have tragic news. When I was uploading Chapter 6, I realized that something seemed wrong. First of all, it was only 300 words, and second of all it had things I didn't remember having introduced into the plot at that point.

After reading back to where Chapter 5 left off and where Chapter 7 picks up, I've come to realize that Chapter 8, the point I was at when I stopped writing (Chapter 7 having been the final published chapter) was accidentally saved on top of Chapter 6.

All that to say:

I accidentally saved over Chapter 6 and no longer have it.

Anywhere.

At all.

I've checked. I've asked people I thought might still have it, I've checked all my other folders for a copy, I've checked flash drives and all kinds of places. It's gone. And I don't entirely remember what I wrote, and I don't really have the energy to rewrite it. Even if I did, I'm sure I'd end up leaving things out.

So what I'm gonna do is list the things I remember having happened in the chapter so that I can put up the next chapter without anyone being lost.

I don't know how to do it other than that. It's shitty and I hate it, but I don't know what else I can do that'd be better (rewriting the chapter wouldn't be better).

So:

Sasuke gets to bed late, having stayed up talking to Itachi. They're still awake when Kisame comes in late at night, despite it being past the Nazi-instilled curfew of 11.

Iruka calls Itachi early that morning to ask if he can watch him while Iruka goes to work. He tells Itachi that Naruto is feeling worse, but that he's missed too much work. Itachi agrees, Sasuke having left an hour or two earlier, and heads over to Iruka and Naruto's apartment. He makes himself coffee as Iruka rushes to work.

Kakashi, who took off work in the afternoon, drops by Iruka's apartment around seven or eight that night, only to find Itachi. Itachi explains that he hasn't heard from Iruka since earlier that day. Kakashi offers to wait on him, and Itachi agrees, since he's worried and suspects that Kakashi would help if something were wrong, such as Iruka not getting home before the 11 o'clock curfew. He's also worried about Naruto, who's gotten much worse over the day and had only woken up for about an hour that afternoon.

Itachi and Kakashi are sitting in the apartment at 10:58, watching the clock. Both of them are silent, Itachi hoping that Iruka will burst through the door as it the clock his 10:59. Kakashi stands up and starts pacing. They hear a door open and see Naruto standing there, looking pale. He staggers quickly to the bathroom and starts vomiting, horrible wretching from behind the door. Itachi watches at the second hand passes the 10, counting down the seconds. It hits eleven and the belltower in the distance starts chiming. On the eleventh chime, there's silence. Kakashi takes in a breath, about to say something, when a sniper rifle's shot rings out in the distance.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Family Business  
**Tycho Kouros

It was eleven forty-five when Sasuke finally walked out of the station.

"Is everything in my bag?"

"It doesn't matter."

"They better not have taken anything out of it."

"It doesn't matter," Sasuke said again, glaring back at Iruka. He handed him the bag and began digging in his pocket for the keys to his newly-issued car. "You wouldn't get it back anyways." Iruka didn't answer him. He knew that Iruka was just mad about the situation. Iruka knew that he was lucky his detention papers had landed on Sasuke's desk. And he was lucky that an interrogation and a few hours in jail were the worst he would be seeing for the night. They maintained the silence until they reached the car. Sasuke got in his side first, before reaching over and opening the door for Iruka. He sat in, shutting the door and holding the bag in his lap, hugging it.

"So is anything missing?" Iruka shook his head.

"It doesn't matter," Iruka said, sighing. Sasuke turned on the car and put it in reverse, backing out of the parking space before pulling out into the street. "I just want to get home." He lowered his head into his hands, rubbing at his temples. Sasuke nodded his head, not entirely sure what to say. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Arrest school teachers for missing work, beat people during interrogations to force confessions, hold them for no reason – how do you do it?"

"I don't," Sasuke said. He didn't even think about the answer; he didn't need to think about it. "They shouldn't have arrested you to begin with. It was a waste of resources." Iruka turned his head, flashing a glare, but Sasuke corrected himself before the man could unload on him. "That's not what I meant. From an administrative perspective, it was an egregious waste of resources to hunt down, arrest, interrogate, and hold a school teacher for missing a few days of work. If I'd known about it, I would have stepped in before it ever happened, whether it had been you or not. There are far more productive things that can be done instead. And as far as the interrogations, I can only tell them what the official policies are; the unofficial policies, the policies that are actually promoted by officers, I have no control over. I certainly don't agree with them, but there's nothing I can do."

"The Revolution will do something." Sasuke chuckled, shaking his head.

"I suppose they will. That's one reason I don't like the current occupation strategy – it's breeding insurrection. I can't blame people for wanting to blow things up and shoot at patrols. But they have their policies. And unless I'm promoted to make the policies, there's nothing I can do."

"But you would change them if you could?"

"I would," Sasuke said. Iruka nodded, turning his head to look out the window. "You shouldn't talk about the Revolution."

"I suppose not."

"You'll get arrested again."

"I'll get arrested anyways, it seems. For one thing or another. Not waking up early enough, not reading the right books, having a wrinkle in my shirt. I suppose it doesn't matter what I do, so why not do what I want?"

"Because I don't want you to get shot." Iruka stared at him, caught off guard by the comment.

"Why do you care?"

"Because Naruto likes you, and Itachi likes, and you like Naruto and Itachi, and I like both of them, so I suppose that when all is said and done, I should like you too. And I do. You're a good man, and a kind man, and an honest man. You invited me into your home even when I wore the uniform of an army that you had no reason to feel anything other than hatred for. I have a deep respect for anyone with such a caliber of scruples."

"You saved Naruto," Iruka pointed out. "I owed you a debt."

"But that debt didn't have to include the hospitality you've shown us. A bitter 'thank you' would have been as much as anyone else would have given." Iruka finally sighed, relenting.

"That wouldn't have been right."

"And that is exactly why I like you," Sasuke said, earning a small smile from Iruka.

"Thank you, Sasuke. I like you too." Iruka laughed at the blush that burned its way up Sasuke's cheeks. Iruka looked out the car window at the blackened city; searchlights searching for planes and streetlights and the lights of the buildings in the center of the city – where the Nazi headquarters and offices were located – were the only lights in the entire city that he could see.

"Paris is usually such a beautiful city."

"It is a beautiful city."

"No, this isn't beauty. This is chaos, and ruin. There's blood on walls from executions and security checkpoints, and darkness. Look at this darkness! Half of the beauty of Paris is the nightlife. There is no life at night now. There is no life at all." Sasuke was quiet for a moment.

"It's still beautiful."

"It's dark, and dead. And lifeless."

"I'd love to see it when it's alive. Even dead, it's more beautiful than anything I've ever seen." Iruka only nodded, still staring out the window.

* * *

Sasuke parked the car in front of Iruka's apartment, his boots clicking on the dirty street as he stepped out. Two heavy thumps of car doors shutting seemed to hang in the empty air.

"Home. Finally," Iruka said. Sasuke nodded, standing next to him.

"Do you mind if I visit Naruto?" Sasuke asked. Iruka shook his head, moving to the front door of the building.

"I never mind, and I know Naruto doesn't. He likes you a lot, Sasuke." Sasuke nodded again, keeping his head down to try and hide the heat on his cheeks. "Thank you again, Sasuke. For getting me out, I mean. I'm not sure if I told you earlier."

"It's fine," Sasuke said. He waved his hand, dismissing the issue. The two climbed the stairs of the worn building. Sasuke stared at the holes in the wall of the stairwell, looking away as they passed them. Finally they reached the apartment; Iruka dug into his pocket for his keys, mumbling about needing a warm shower. He opened the door and froze.

The apartment was dark and empty.

Iruka dropped his bag on the floor as he ran to the bedroom. Sasuke picked it up and moved into the living room, turning on the light as he entered. Iruka burst out of the bedroom, panicking.

"He's gone! Oh God, no. Please no." Iruka raced around the room, throwing open the bathroom door before heading for the kitchen. Sasuke stepped in front of him, and grabbed his arms, holding him. His own stomach was beginning to turn at the situation, and Iruka's reaction wasn't helping him.

"Calm down," Sasuke said, shaking him lightly. "Calm down. I'm sure that he's safe. Maybe when you didn't come home, Kakashi took him to Itachi's. Why don't we check there before we jump to conclusions?" Iruka nodded, gasping for air. As soon as Sasuke released his arms, he began running his hands over his face and through his hair. Sasuke moved to open the door for Iruka, who staggered through on shaky legs. Sasuke was concerned enough to hold the man's arm while he walked down the stairs, scared of him falling. As they reached the bottom, the door of the apartment building opened, and a surprised Kakashi walked through. Before he could even make a sound, Iruka had launched himself at him.

"What did you do!" His fists were balled, ready to strike out, but Kakashi closed the distance and wrapped his arms around him, holding him too close to throw a punch. "What did you do with him!" Iruka continued thrashing in his arms, pounding on arms, chest, and anything else his fists could connect with. Sasuke cringed as Iruka managed himself free enough to connect a knee to Kakashi's groin. His eyes screwed shut, but the hold stayed firm.

"I trusted you, damnit!" Iruka said, before finally collapsing into the arms and bawling into Kakashi's chest. Sasuke watched as raw pain flashed across Kakashi's eyes, the words tearing through him in a way that no punch or knee ever could. The arms around Iruka tightened.

"I'm sorry. He was sick, and we were busy trying to get him to Itachi's. I didn't think about you getting home before I could make it back." Iruka shook his head against Kakashi's chest, squeezing the black uniform shirt in his hands. "Itachi said there's a doctor in his building. He's over there now." Iruka took a deep breath, but broke down with a harsh sob. Sasuke moved to open the door.

"Come on, I'll drive." Kakashi nodded, and began to maneuver Iruka out to the car. His boneless legs made it a long, slow walk out to the street. Kakashi settled Iruka in the back seat, moving around to the other side while Sasuke started up the car. Sasuke watched in the mirror as Kakashi paused, trying to decide how Iruka would respond to him. Iruka settled the issue when he moved over and curled up against Kakashi's chest again, breathing hard.

"He'll be okay," Kakashi said, kissing Iruka's temple. Sasuke started the car while Kakashi began whispering in Iruka's ear. Sasuke took the chance to occupy his mind by focusing on driving, but it was ripped back to the situation when he caught one of Kakashi's whispers that made his stomach turn again. "I'm sorry." Sasuke swallowed, gripping the steering wheel and staring at the stone of the streets beneath the headlights.

After a ride of heavy breathing, soft sniffles, and steering wheel clenching, Sasuke pulled in front of Itachi's building. The three unloaded from the car without a word, and it was only the clicking of two pairs of boots that broke the silence. They opened the door, climbed the stairs, and were quick to see Itachi standing outside an open door, a glass of wine in his hand. Iruka moved ahead of them, and Itachi turned his head to look at him after taking a sip out of the glass.

"He's fine. The doctor says it was just a bad reaction to the medicine. He's already given him a dose of some different painkillers, but he says he wants to watch him overnight. Just to be sure." For a second, Sasuke thought that Iruka was going to collapse, but Itachi was quick to grab the man around the waist, holding the glass of wine high in the air to keep it steady. Iruka started laughing – hysterical laughter as his nerves unwound. "Come on, drink," Itachi said, handing the glass to Iruka.

"That's always your solution," Iruka said, though Itachi laughed as he still took the glass and downed it in a single gulp.

"Der typische Deustche," Itachi said with a shrug. "It's the one German habit that I never kicked." Iruka smiled, handing him the glass before he headed into the apartment. Itachi leaned back against the wall, rolling his head to look at Sasuke and Kakashi.

"Will he really be okay," Sasuke asked, "or was that just for Iruka's benefit?" Itachi shrugged his shoulders again, and as he pushed off the wall Sasuke could see the small, almost nonexistent, pause before he gained his balance. The stagger in his step was near-invisible.

"The doctor said his ribs look fine. He'll feel shitty in the morning, I suppose, but that's the worst of it. He was sleeping, and he talked like he'd be out for the night. But if you can wrench him away from Iruka long enough then you can have some time with him for yourself. What about you, Kakashi? I have plenty more to drink," he said with a wave of his hand.

"I should probably stay with Iruka," Kakashi said. "Thank you, though." Sasuke and Kakashi headed for the apartment, but Sasuke stopped after Kakashi had entered.

"Itachi..."

"The door's open and the couch is yours. You're always welcome to use it, Sasuke. You never need to ask." Sasuke smiled, nodding before heading into the apartment.

Naruto lay on the couch; the warm, tan skin that Sasuke had become fascinated with had turned sick and pale. Iruka was kneeling by him, pressing a limp hand against his cheek. Kakashi stood behind them, by the wall, while the doctor – an old and stocky man with bushy white beard and a mustache – held a newspaper under his arm and puffed on a pipe. The man looked at Sasuke and sighed, smoke pouring out with the breath, then left for what Sasuke guessed was a study or bedroom. Sasuke moved beside Kakashi, leaning against the wall.

"My new apartment isn't far from here. I still need to requisition the furniture, but it should have a bed and couch, crappy as they may be. I can lend you my key if you want."

"It's fine. That armchair looks comfortable. Or I can just get comfortable on the floor here if Iruka won't be sleeping by Naruto."

"You'll do no such thing," Iruka said. "You've done enough for me, Kakashi. I won't ask you to spend the night curled up in an armchair as well. You're tired, and you need a decent bed."

"The standard beds they issue are anything but decent," Sasuke said. Iruka drew a breath to counter, but Kakashi cut him off.

"And anyways, I can get comfortable most anywhere. Years of tedious paperwork in the early mornings and late nights has taught me that sleeping reclined is a luxury. I also doubt that you'd be able to stay awake longer."

"I'm a teacher, Kakashi. That's a bet you will lose."

"We'll see," was all Kakashi said.

At three in the morning, after hours of empty conversation and silent staring at the unconscious Naruto, Sasuke finally found himself unable to stay awake, his eyes hurting and his butt numb from sitting on the floor by Naruto. Iruka had gone down two hours earlier, at which point Kakashi had moved him into his lap, leaning him back against his chest while he sat against the wall.

After a slight wobble, Sasuke found his balance and made his way to Itachi's apartment. Opening the door, he was surprised to find all of the lights still on. He was even more surprised to find Itachi passed out, his upper half sprawled out on the kitchen table , a glass on the floor and a wine bottle still in his hand. Sasuke turned off the lights, but found himself too tired to move Itachi. He threw his coat over the back of the couch, unbuttoned his shirt, and dropped his pants, before stepping out of his boots and letting his shirt fall to the ground on top of the pile. Then he fell onto the couch, barely curling up before he was asleep.

* * *

The dull thud and click of a door closing woke Sasuke up, though he slipped back into sleep without opening his eyes. An hour later, however, he'd edged his way out of the sleep, and finally sat up for the day. He rubbed at his aching eyes, though it did little good. He stood, stepping on his pile of clothes, and began to walk to the kitchen for a glass of water. But then he noticed Itachi standing by the window, staring out into the darkness. The only signs of morning were the streetlights dotting the city – it was past five, when curfew ended, and people would be on their way to work. He walked up behind him, and smirked to himself when he noticed the glass of wine.

"It's a bit early to be working on another bottle, don't you think?" The reaction he'd expected never came. Itachi continued staring out into the darkness. Sasuke moved next to him, and felt his chest seize when he saw the single tear slipping down Itachi's cheek. "Aniki?"

"Kisame was shot by a sniper last night."

"Oh, God." Sasuke grabbed his brother, pulling him into a hug. The glass of wine fell from his hand, the neck snapping and side cracking as it landed. Sasuke could feel his brother's body begin to shake as tears fell on his shoulder.

"It went through his left arm and nicked a rib before it punctured his lung," he said, a whine wavering before finally slipping out in a sob. "They said he might not make it." Sasuke leaned against the wall, moving one hand to hold Itachi's head while his other arm wrapped around his lower back. He rocked gently, whispering hushes in his ear. Itachi's hands clawed at Sasuke's back when he hugged him as hard as could. Finally Itachi broke into steady stream of sobs, before screaming in pain into Sasuke's shoulder. A sick chill spread through Sasuke's body at the sound; it was the same sound he'd heard a dying animal make once. He felt himself begin to cry as well. Itachi screamed again, not bothering to muffle it in Sasuke's shoulder. It pierced the air of the apartment, dying as it cracked and became a broken whimper. Sasuke continued rocking him, rubbing his brother's cheek with his own. Loud footsteps came from the hallway, before the door swung open. Sasuke looked up and watched as Kakashi and Iruka stood staring in the doorway. Iruka watched for a moment, before running back down the hallway. Kakashi stood, still, not sure what to do. Sasuke could feel Itachi's body begin to give, pulling him down. He slid down the wall, lowering them both to the floor.

"I can't do it." Itachi's voice was raspy and quiet. Sasuke started rocking him again, nuzzling him.

"Yes you can." Itachi shook his head, digging his nails into Sasuke's back.

"Not without him." Sasuke ran his fingers through Itachi's hair. Iruka walked through the door, heading straight towards them. He knelt down and grabbed Itachi's hand, whispering in his ear.

"I called her. She said she's seeing to him herself." Itachi sobbed, before nodding. "I'm so sorry." Iruka patted Itachi's hand, holding it for a moment longer, before letting it go. His arm fell limp at his side, hitting the ground with a thud. Iruka watched it, then backed away and walked out the door, grabbing Kakashi's hand as he left. They closed the door behind them.

"Don't leave me."

"I'm not going anywhere," Sasuke said, nuzzling Itachi's cheek again.

"Don't leave me." Confused, Sasuke turned Itachi's head to look at him.

His eyes were cloudy and dead.

"Please don't leave me." Sasuke brought Itachi's head to his shoulder again, rocking him as he continued to say the words over and over again.


	8. Chapter 8

I'm not sure I fully understand this whole reviewing process. Am I supposed to be responding to them? I don't want you guys to think I don't read them or don't appreciate them. I do, very much. I just wanted you guys to know that. And if I'm supposed to be responding to reviews, then I'll try to do better about it. I don't know, I just tend to put stories up and check in on them every once in a while instead of actually keeping tabs or getting updates about them. But I still appreciate each of my readers =)

**The Family Business  
**Tycho Kouros

The first thing Naruto realized was that his entire body hurt. The second thing was that he was laying on something that wasn't his bed. The last thing he realized was that a warm head was lying on his shoulder, the hair tickling his arm. He shifted, only to regret it when the dull ache all over his body turned into throbbing pain. The head moved, and Naruto opened his eyes to see a pair of familiar dark eyes staring back at him.

"Hey," Sasuke said. Naruto could hear the tiredness in his voice. It was ragged, and slightly hoarse. Naruto felt a hand grab his, squeezing it gently. He squeezed back, smiling.

"Hey. How long have you been sitting there?" Sasuke checked his watch.

"Just a few hours." He smiled when Naruto's eyebrows furrowed. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit." Sasuke chuckled, bending forward to rest his chin on his arm. Naruto couldn't help but feel excited that Sasuke was so close to him.

"The doctor said it will take a day for the other medicine to get out of your system. You'll feel better in a few hours, but it will be tomorrow or the day after until you get your energy back." Naruto nodded, but his chest felt like it had collapsed when he remembered the night before. He sat up quickly, panicking.

"Where's –!"

"He's fine," Sasuke said, pushing Naruto down by his chest. "He was detained, but I got him out last night. He had to go to work is why he's not here." Naruto was still breathing fast, but nodded. "I told him I'd stay with you so you didn't wake up alone. He really wanted to be here."

"When will he get back?" Naruto cringed at how needy his voice sounded. He couldn't help it though. Iruka was everything to him, and he felt like he needed to have him close right then. Sasuke squeezed his hand again.

"Probably around two. Kakashi dropped him off and will be picking him up. He also said he'd eat lunch with him, but I'm not entirely sure that was just for Iruka's 'safety'. He really likes him, you know." Naruto nodded, but didn't answer. There was still something about the man that Naruto didn't like. But he knew that he wouldn't like _anyone_ that got so close to Iruka. It was stupid to be jealous, but he couldn't help feeling resentment towards him for the things he was doing to the only family he had.

"What's wrong?" Naruto looked up and saw Sasuke staring at him.

"Huh?"

"You looked upset." Naruto shook his head, forcing a smile.

"No, it's nothing, really. I'm just tired." Sasuke nodded, but didn't look convinced. A bird was chirping somewhere outside the window. When Naruto looked back at Sasuke, he saw that his eyes were closed, his breathing slow. It was then that he noticed the dark rings under Sasuke's eyes. He reached up and ran his thumb across one of them, pulling back when Sasuke flinched. Sasuke stared at him, but didn't say anything. He reached out again, and felt the soft, squishy skin. Sasuke closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. "You really should get some sleep," Naruto said. Sasuke nodded, and put his head down on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto smiled, and brought his hand up, weaving his fingers through Sasuke's hair, before closing his eyes.

* * *

The sound of the heavy, wooden door closing echoed in the stone stairwell. Itachi followed the nun down the curving stairs, the rustle of her habit and the clicking of shoes bouncing off the walls as they walked. His eyes burned, and the corners of his mouth ached, and his throat was raw from screaming. He kept his muscles tight so that he didn't break down right there in the church, though he'd run out of energy to cry hours before. The stairs seemed to be endless, a bottomless pit with just the occasional torch flame flickering.

He pulled the coat tighter around himself as they reached the bottom of the stairs. The nun knocked on a heavy wooden door. A small slit opened, before closing again as the door opened up. People were moaning, the room smelled of stale alcohol. The door closed behind him as the nun walked back up to the church.

"Itachi," the blond woman said as she walked by, reading from a clipboard. She had on her usual green lab coat. "Haven't seen you in a while."

"Is he—?"

"Fine. He's a tougher bastard to kill than that, Itachi. He'll be out of commission for a few months, and needs to take it easy," she said, glancing over at him. "No strenuous activities. But he'll be fine." Itachi walked along side her, nodding. He snorted and shook his head, wanting to break down right there. Just fall on the floor and cry. An arm wrapped around his shoulder and rubbed his arm, pulling him closer, still walking. "It's up to you how you handle this. We have room for the both of you down here. You could let the apartment go and move down here, or we can move him back up as soon as he's ready. We can get your rent taken care of."

"Thank you, Tsunade," Itachi said, "but it's fine. We'll make it work somehow. My brother's agreed to help us out, and I can get a job to take care of the rent." Tsunade stopped him and turned him to face her.

"You'll do no such thing. Itachi, that's what the aid funds are for. So people can offer us their time without having to worry about finances." Itachi looked away, shrugging. "I don't mean to say that you owe us anything, Itachi. God, we owe you more than we could possibly afford to repay. But if it's money that's the problem, then you'd better think twice about me letting you go that easy." Itachi smiled a little and nodded. Tsunade hugged him with one arm, her other arm and the clipboard down by her side. Itachi sighed and let himself go lax, closing his eyes. "Just don't make any decisions yet. There's plenty of time for that later." Itachi nodded and started walking again. Plenty of time. He looked at the people in the beds, IVs hooked into their arms. Some were conscious, some were pale. Most of them didn't have sheets. Itachi knew that Tsunade did the best with what she had to work with. She was a renowned surgeon, both for her skill and her leadership to the Resistance. She and the General, both. The Nazis knew her well. Before the war, she'd been an international name. They also knew from documents inside compromised bases that she was a major figure in the Resistance. But beneath the church, she was invisible. Thanks to the loyalty she inspired, the security protocol in place, and the extreme measures in place to make sure the base was invisible from the outside, she was untouchable. She and the hospital, both.

It had been, quite literally, a gift from God that the nuns had approached them with the offer to use a corridor underneath the church. It had been meant for use as catacombs, but shortly after its completion the use of catacombs was ended by an order from Rome. And since it was just a hole, it wasn't on the blueprints. With no electricity running to it, the Nazis had walked right on top of thousands of times without any idea what was beneath their feet. They could search all they wanted. It was a hole with just a few entrances and exits.

It had been just a few short tunnels to make it a functioning hospital with hundreds of patients.

Itachi's breath caught when he saw Kisame. He was pale, with an oxygen mask covering his face. Itachi staggered a little before running to his side, burying his face in the pillow by Kisame's head as he cried. A weak hand moved and rubbed the back of his head, Kisame's head turning. Itachi looked up to see a small smile on Kisame's lips underneath the mask.

"Hey, 'tachi," he said, lifting the mask a little so Itachi could hear him. Itachi was quick to press it back down onto his face.

"It's oxygen, dumbass. You need it," Itachi said, voice shaking as he swallowed. Kisame laughed a little, grunting in pain. Itachi frowned, looking down at him. "How bad?"

"Like hell." Itachi nodded and put his head down on the pillow again. Kisame rubbed his back, sighing.

"His lung's reinflated. He'll be out of here in about a week. Where, again, he'll need rest," Tsunade said, adding, "non-strenuous rest," when she saw the look in Kisame's eyes. Kisame just smiled at her.

"Hear that, 'tachi? Sounds like you'll be riding cowboy for a few weeks." Itachi buried his face deeper into the pillow, where the "bastard" he muttered was muffled and just barely understandable. Tsunade gave him a dry look.

"From what I saw, I'm surprised there's enough for him to ride." Itachi snorted into the pillow.

"There's growers and showers, Doc. I can give you a demonstration if—"

"Keep it under the sheets, Hoshigake," Tsunade said, "there's plenty of time for me to see when you're pitching your tent in the morning." Kisame smiled, nuzzling the top of Itachi's head.

"You better breathe, Itachi. Don't want both of us needing oxygen masks." All he got was a groan that sounded like, "Let me die." Tsunade chuckled.

"I'll be back later to check you out while they're changing your bandages. Bye Itachi, see ya later pencil dick," Tsunade said. "Unless I forget my microscope." Kisame sneered at her as she walked away, turning to Itachi.

"Sorry, but you know how she gets under my skin." Itachi looked up at him, his face red.

"Call it selfishness, Kisame, but keep your dickwagging to our bedroom. It's mine, and I'm not interested in sharing." Kisame smiled at him, kissing the tip of his nose.

"Of course, 'tachi. It's yours and only yours to play with." Itachi smirked, laying his head down on the bed again. "Did you sleep last night?"

"Yes," Itachi said with a sigh.

"How many bottles?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It _does_ matter. You promised you'd keep cutting back."

"And _you_ promised nothing would happen. I guess we can't always keep our promises, can we?" Kisame looked away while Itachi glared into his shoulder, tears and anger making the pillow hot against his cheek.

"I'm sorry." Kisame said, turning his head again and rubbing his cheek against the crown of Itachi's head. "I love you."

"Love you too," Itachi said, murmuring. Kisame smiled and started rubbing Itachi's back again, closing his eyes when he heard soft snores after about ten minutes, still rubbing as he breathed through the pain.

* * *

Sasuke glanced over at Naruto as he put the key in the ignition, watching the blond rub the leather seat, smiling.

"Are you sure you feel okay for this?" Naruto nodded, looking back at him.

"You promised, Sasuke. And I need to get out. I'm tired of lying down." Sasuke nodded, starting the engine. Naruto smiled even wider as the engine roared, leaning on the door as Sasuke pulled into the street. "So Iruka's okay?"

"Kakashi said he was fine and that he'd tell him where you were." Naruto nodded and watched the city from the window. Nazi flags were hanging from every lamppost, giant banners were hanging from the sides of occupied buildings. As they turned onto a wider street, he saw a tank up ahead, at the next corner, and took a deep breath. Sasuke noticed and slowed down a little, ready to pull over. "You okay?"

"Just... yeah." Sasuke looked at him, watching.

"Carsick?" Naruto shook his head.

"Tank." Sasuke turned his head and looked at it as they passed.

"Oh... sorry," Sasuke said, frowning.

"It's not your fault. Are you sure this is okay? To be taking me places, I mean."

"Just stop looking so scared and don't say anything. You'll be easy to pass off as a friend from back home who's visiting." Naruto kept looking at the window, silent. Sasuke reached over and grabbed his hand, rubbing the back of the hand with his thumb. "Really, relax. I won't let anything happen to you." Naruto smiled a little, squeezing Sasuke's hand. "I promise."

The rest of the ride went well. Naruto eventually relaxed, even as they passed the occasional tank, and began to nod off from the car ride. He woke up when he was lurched forward, the car stopping at a security check leading out of the city. He heard a window being lowered and a German conversation. He rubbed his eyes as he looked around, looking up at the barbed wire along the walls and the large metal gates.

His stomach turned when he saw the wall covered in a thick layer of spatter-edged red. He tried taking deep breaths, tried looking at Sasuke, who was busy talking to one of the uniformed guards. Finally he closed his eyes, pressing his cheek against the cool glass of the window. Boot hells clicked and Sasuke turned, seeing him, noticing the heavy breathing and the sweat that was beginning to form on his brow.

"Naruto?" Naruto kept focusing on deep breaths, trying to keep from getting Sasuke into trouble. Trying not to think about the guards finding out about him and being another bloodstain on the wall. "Are you okay?"

"No." Boot heels clicked and more German. The guard handed Sasuke back his papers and the metal gate began to creak as it was opened.

"Is he okay?" the guard asked, nodding towards Naruto.

"Carsick," Sasuke said in German, "not used to the rich food here, I guess." The soldier nodded, laughing as he walked back to his post and Sasuke drove away. Naruto was shivering, taking quick, deep breaths. Sasuke kept driving until he was a mile or two away from the gate, well out of view. He pulled off the road and into the grass. "Get out." Naruto's eyes shot open, another chill as his stomach flipped at the sound of Sasuke's voice. Sasuke threw open his door and ran around, pulling open Naruto's and pulling him out of the car. Naruto started to lose it then, a small whine before he finally began to throw up into the grass. Sasuke had an arm around his shoulder, kneeling beside him. After the third time, he was dry heaving, spitting out the saliva from the taste of vomit as he kept retching. He started sobbing between heaves, and Sasuke rubbed his back, hushing him quietly.

"What happened?" Sasuke asked in a whisper. Naruto heaved again, shaking.

"Blood," was all he could get out, saying it over and over again. Sasuke kept rubbing his back.

"I'm so sorry, Naruto. I shouldn't have—"

"Please. I didn't mean to look scared." Sasuke stared at him. He pulled Naruto back and laid him down, resting Naruto's head in his lap. He ran his fingers through Naruto's hair, looking down at Naruto's half-lidded, teary eyes.

"Don't worry about that, Naruto. You didn't do anything wrong, I promise."

"The blood..." Sasuke whispered hushes, running a finger over Naruto's cheek. "So much blood..."

* * *

Sasuke walked out of the field office and back to the car with two Coke bottles, a bottle opener in his pocket. Naruto was leaning his head against the glass, still looking pale. Sasuke set one of the bottles down and got the bottle opener, popping of the bottle cap and handing it to Naruto.

"Here, to get the taste out." Naruto nodded and took the bottle, taking a little sip. Sasuke turned the key and back the car up, driving back out into the countryside. Naruto just stared down at the bubbles of his Coke. "Look, I'm really sorry. This was a bad idea."

"No, it's fine," Naruto said, shaking his head a little. "It wasn't you. I just... ya know, forgot, I guess. About that stuff." Sasuke nodded, staring down the dirt road ahead. "Really, thanks for bringing me out here. It's been years since I've gotten to see the countryside. It's nice not to be crammed up in the city." Sasuke nodded, looking over at Naruto. Naruto smiled at him, taking another sip of his Coke.

"We can go back if you want. It's up to you," Sasuke said, stopping at a fork in the road. Naruto was quiet as he looked over at the city for a few minutes.

"Is it okay if we don't yet?" Sasuke nodded and drove away from the city, driving out until he found a nice spot by a tree. He pulled over and got out, walking around to help Naruto with his door. Naruto smiled and walked over to the tree, sitting down with his legs crossed. Sasuke walked over and sat down next to him, a few inches away from him, and leaned back against the tree. He glanced over at Naruto, nervous. He started to say something, but lost it in a shudder when Naruto leaned his head on Sasuke's shoulder. He looked over when Naruto jerked his head away.

"Naruto?" Naruto shook his head.

"Sorry, I wasn't thinking. I... uh..." Sasuke kept watching him. "Is it... okay?" Sasuke kept looking at him, then smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, it's fine," he said. Naruto smiled too, and leaned his head back on Sasuke's shoulder, scooting closer.

"It just... ya know, felt really good. When you were close while I was throwing up, I mean. And when I woke up. You... uh... you're..." Sasuke stared at him, his stomach churning.

"I'm what?" Naruto looked away, blushing.

"You're just... ya know, nice." Sasuke let out a deep breath and smiled. His arm snaked around Naruto's shoulders, watching to see what Naruto would do. But Naruto just looked up at him and smiled. Sasuke smiled back and leaned his head on top of Naruto's. They sat there like that for an hour, hidden from the rode by the tree as Sasuke rubbed Naruto's shoulder and back, warmth swelling every time Naruto shuddered or moaned a little when his hand found a sensitive spot. They were there long enough for the sun to start setting, the sky filled with all kinds of colors Sasuke hadn't seen since he was a kid visiting his grandfather's countryside villa. Naruto's arm wrapped around his waist as a blond head pressed against his chest, curling up closer against him as a cold breeze blew. It was too much for Sasuke to resist. He lifted Naruto's chin and kissed him on the lips, looking into the deep blue of Naruto's eyes. When Naruto didn't do anything, he ran his tongue across Naruto's lip, pushing in when Naruto's lips parted. Naruto was still at first, but quickly began kissing back, wrapping his arms around Sasuke's neck as Sasuke pushed him onto his back, half on top of him as they made out even after the sun had set.


	9. Chapter 9

**The Family Business  
**TyKae

Iruka ran a hand through his hair as he moved for the door, just off of the couch he'd gotten comfortable on after a long few nights worrying. He was frazzled, in loose pajama pants and a t-shirt, sighing as he opened the door, only to find Kakashi standing in the hallway with a box of chocolates and flowers.

"Hey," Kakashi said with a smile. Iruka leaned against the door frame, poking his head out.

"Hey."

"May I come in?" Kakashi asked, gesturing with the chocolates. Iruka nodded and opened the door more, walking back to the couch. "It's been a busy few days. I thought you could use a little pampering." Iruka felt a blush creeping up his face as Kakashi smiled.

"You didn't have to," Iruka said. Kakashi sat down next to him and ran a hand over his cheek, turning his head.

"But I want to," Kakashi said. Iruka smiled, and Kakashi pressed a soft kiss onto his lips. Iruka moved his head to deepen the kiss, but Kakashi pulled away. Iruka started to ask why, but Kakashi put a finger to Iruka's lips, stopping him.

"You're exhausted," Kakashi said. "Tonight's for pampering. Not for anything too... vigorous," he said with a grin. Iruka nodded a little and Kakashi stood to take off his trench coat, loosening his tie and unbuttoning his shirt. When he was done, he sat down next to Iruka and pulled him into his lap, laying down with Iruka against him. Kakashi ran his hand over Iruka's chest, down to his stomach and over his thigh, pressing a kiss to the back of Iruka's head. Iruka let out a heavy sigh.

"I don't deserve you," Iruka said. Kakashi kissed his way over to Iruka's ear, sucking on the lobe.

"You deserve so much more, little dolphin." Iruka smiled as a hand ran up under his shirt, running along his belly before pulling him back against Kakashi's own body.

"Where'd Sasuke take Naruto?" Iruka asked, his voice soft.

"No clue," Kakashi said.

"Will they be okay?" Kakashi whispered a hush into Iruka's ear.

"Just sleep. Sasuke's more than capable of protecting someone, especially someone he cares about."

"He really cares about Naruto, then?" Iruka asked. Kakashi nodded against Iruka's cheek.

"For as long as I've known him, I've never seen him this distracted by someone."

"And you? I mean... distracted?" Iruka turned to look at Kakashi as he asked, his eyes dropping and his mouth open just a little. Kakashi chuckled, hugging him closer.

"Completely." Iruka smiled and buried his face into Kakashi's chest. Kakashi ran his fingers through Iruka's hair, and a few minutes later both were asleep on the couch.

* * *

Sasuke followed Naruto up the stairs to his apartment, watching him, waiting for the perfect moment. And as they reached the top of the stairs, where they turned and were walking for the apartment door, that was the moment. Sasuke grabbed Naruto's shoulder and pushed him back against the wall in one fluid motion, holding Naruto's wrists and working them up over his head. Sasuke pressed his forehead to Naruto's as Naruto squirmed beneath him, Sasuke working a knee in between Naruto's legs, securing him, ghosting a gentle kiss over Naruto's lips. He breathed a warm puff of air that all but melted Naruto underneath him.

Naruto bucked into Sasuke's thigh, grinding himself as his eyes fell shut and Sasuke took his lips. It was all Naruto could do to grip the fabric of Sasuke's coat, hanging onto his shoulders, as Sasuke starting grinding his thigh and driving Naruto harder and harder against the wall, Sasuke's tongue working through Naruto's lips—

The door creaked and Naruto's heart stopped. Sasuke's weight continued to support him for a second or two, until it was gone as fast as Sasuke had been on him. Naruto nearly fell to the floor. Metal slipped against leather as Sasuke pulled out his gun and had it trained directly between Kakashi's amusement-squinted eyes. Even despite his mask, Naruto could tell his grin was nothing short of sadistic, as opposed to Sasuke's frown, which was an icy cold kind of furious. Naruto took shallow breaths as a few seconds of silence passed, Sasuke still frozen with his gun aimed at Kakashi's head, almost as if he were still deciding whether he should or not. But Kakashi walked forward and reached over the gun to poke Sasuke's forehead. Sasuke let his arms fall, his eyes still fixed in a piercing glare.

"Damn you," Sasuke said, frigid. But Kakashi just patted Sasuke's shoulder as he walked past.

"Come on, lover boy, say good night. Naruto needs the sleep," Sasuke started to say something, but Kakashi cut him off, adding, "Because your bedtime activities aren't sleep-friendly." Sasuke's glare turned into a sneer and he started to raise his pistol again, only to jam it back in his holster and turn back around to Naruto while Kakashi laughed his way down the stairs.

"Hey, uh..." Sasuke started, his pause turning into a broken thought as Naruto's fingers slipped through his own. Sasuke swallowed, trying to force down the lump that was beginning to form in his throat. "Today was..." he said, taking a deep breath.

"Yeah," Naruto said, nodding. "It was." They stood there for another few seconds, holding hands, Sasuke leaning forward to press another gentle kiss on Naruto's lips, before he pulled back.

"I'm sorry about him, he's an idiot."

"He's right though," Naruto said, moving out from between Sasuke and the wall. "I am still a little worked over." Sasuke nodded, blushing just a little as he thought of the afternoon, and moved forward to kiss Naruto's forehead, brushing a strand of hair out of Naruto's face.

"You should have said something."

"It's not that it was too much. Really, I needed to get out. This day's been amazing." Sasuke was caught off guard by that, making Naruto grin. "It has! All of it. And I'd love to do it again soon..."

"Sure," Sasuke said, nodding. "Definitely soon." Naruto smiled and turned for his apartment, stopping and turning before he opened the door.

"How's Itachi?" Sasuke leaned against the wall, letting out a deep breath.

"Better. I'm moving him into my new place for a while. And I'll figure out something to keep his rent covered, he just doesn't need to be alone right now, you know?"

"Yeah," Naruto said. They stood there, a long few seconds passing, before Naruto smiled again. "Tell him I hope he feels better, yeah?"

"I will," Sasuke said. "I'll, uh... see you tomorrow, maybe? Or at least the day after, definitely."

"Yeah, I'll see you then." They stared at each other, Sasuke's body still winding down. Sasuke stepped forward and placed another gentle kiss on Naruto's forehead, whispering in his ear.

"Sleep well."

"You too, Sasuke." When Naruto shut the door and the door latch clicked, Sasuke let out a long breath. He turned and headed after Kakashi, running a hand through his hair. And, of course, Kakashi was waiting for at the bottom of the stairs, leaning against the wall.

"I should have shot you," Sasuke said, not bothering to look at him. But he knew Kakashi was smirking at that, following him as Sasuke walked for the car. "And what the hell are you doing here, anyways? It's ten o'clock."

"I came by to check on Iruka. He told me you'd taken Naruto out, so I kept him company. You know, to help put his mind at ease while you were busy romping your blond in the backseat of your car." Sasuke opened his mouth, about to yell, but Kakashi cut him off, adding, "Or something."

"'Putting his mind at ease'," Sasuke said, "which in pervert translates to, 'having my way with him while he's alone.'?"

"Between that accurate translation and the fact you were just snogging poor Naruto into the drywall, I'd say you're nearing graduation as a pervert yourself," Kakashi said, walking around to the other side of the car and opening the door. He looked back up as Sasuke stood frozen, his brain trying to work up a response. "Horny perverts in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, Sasuke."

"I should have shot you."

* * *

The elevator let out a ding before the doors slid open, Sasuke and Itachi walking off with suitcases in hand. They both looked down at the floor as the doors slid shut behind them, waiting for the elevator attendant to start for another floor.

"You really don't have to do this, Sasuke, I'll be fine on my own," Itachi said once he was sure the attendant and the elevator were gone. They walked down the hallway, mostly empty with only a few doors. Paintings of flowers filled the wall spaces.

"It's fine, aniki," Sasuke said, digging into the last word to emphasize sentimentality. "Really. I only got this place for your sake. You don't need to be alone right now, and besides. We need to be making up on lost time, right?" Itachi nodded as Sasuke put his own suitcase down, digging the key out of his pocket.

"I just don't want to crowd you in your ohhh—..." The last word hung unfinished as Sasuke opened the door and walked inside, into the spacious, elegant suite. Dark, polished wood outlined the velvet reds of couch and loveseat cushions, white walls with the slightest hint of pink and violet drapes. Blue vases held orchids – blue orchids against the walls, white orchids in the center of the room. A grandfather clock was in the corner next to a glass display case filled with porcelain figurines. In the other corner, a writing desk with a lamp and typewriter was next to a window that looked out over the nearby park. And covering the white carpet that sprawled out two feet from the wall was a large, oriental rug that separated the room's main furniture, facing towards a fireplace, from the walkway and two doors that led to the bedroom, bathroom, and small kitchen space. "Oh, shit."

"Yeah," Sasuke said, grinning. "I don't think either of us will be too crowded."

"And the couch does look pretty comfortable," Itachi said.

"The bed is even more comfortable, which is where you'll be sleeping," Sasuke said. "Period."

"Sasuke..."

"It's not up for discussion," Sasuke said.

"This is your place," Itachi said, "I can't take your bed. How would explain sleeping on the couch? I mean, you said I was an assistant or something, right?"

"They don't need to know which of us is sleeping on the couch. And if it's such a big deal to you then we can both sleep in the bed. It's big enough, and it'll be like old times, right?" Sasuke tried to grin it away, but Itachi could see the memories creeping into Sasuke's eyes, memories of crawling into his aniki's bed every night because he was scared of the dark, scared of the monsters he heard when the branches of the oak tree scratched against their window, of howling winds during storms and acorns falling onto the ground. The memories of suddenly facing all of those monsters alone when Itachi disappeared, when the warm bed he had felt so comfortable in suddenly turned cold and empty. Itachi looked around the suite and nodded. It had taken him years to stop waking up and crying when realized his arms were empty of an overly sensitive little brother clinging to his only secure source of love and attention. Knowing that his brother was hundreds of miles away and alone.

Before Itachi knew it, he was hugging Sasuke as hard as he could.

"Aniki?"

"Yeah," Itachi said, holding Sasuke's head against his cheek. "Like old times."

* * *

Zabuza stood by the back alley door of the cabaret, leaning against the brick wall as he smoked a cigarette next. The smoldering end hung suspended like a burn in the fabric of the dark night air. The moon was on the other side of the building, shadows from the trash cans stretched long and faded down the length of the alleyway from a light somewhere far off in the distance, down the alley and across the street, halfway down the distant sidewalk. Zabuza took in a long drag, holding it in his chest, eyes closed as he breathed it out in a long sigh.

The door swung open and hit the wall hard, bottles clanking against each other as Haku dragged the bag and worked it over the side of the dumpster, a muffled chaos as it landed on top of how many other bags that clinked and clanged. Haku rubbed his shoulder and leaned back against the wall next to Zabuza, who snuck a hand behind Haku's neck and massaged it a little.

"How late tonight?" Zabuza asked. He took another drag and slipped his fingers down the neck of Haku's shirt, fingertips ghosting over tired shoulder muscles before they stopped to feel each vertebrae of Haku's upper spine.

"Late," Haku said. He looked down the alley before he leaned his head against Zabuza's arm. "Stay here tonight."

"Can't," Zabuza said, his cigarette dangling from his lips as he let his other hand reach behind his own neck, leaning his head back against the wall.

"Please," Haku said, pressing his head harder against Zabuza's arm. Zabuza stared at the far wall of the alley. "It's been almost a week."

"Because it's not safe," Zabuza said, a mumble as the cigarette bobbed up and down between his lips. He snapped his hand out from behind his neck and threw the cigarette on the ground, stepping on it and grinding it with his foot. "Why don't you get that?"

"So what _is_ safe?" Haku asked, shoving off of the wall, hand clawing through his hair that he had tied back into a loose ponytail. "You fucking that Anko whore to take the edge off? Is that what I should do? Get some drunk guy from the bar to do it? How about I get one of the officers a little tipsy and have him drill me hard? Hell, maybe he'll be better than you and we won't even need to have this conversation ever again!" While Haku glared at him, arms back and out of breath Zabuza looked down the alley, staring off at that distant streetlight. Then he grabbed Haku by the shirt and slammed him against the wall, pressing on Haku's chest until Haku shook a little, struggling for air. Zabuza grabbed Haku's chin and jerked it upwards, leaning in close so they were eye to eye, shaky breaths puffing against Haku's cheeks.

"First," Zabuza said, "she sucked me off, and it was one time. I was drunk. I don't remember it. She can rot in hell for all I care. And second," Zabuza said as he gripped Haku's jaw harder, the heel of his palm pressing on Haku's throat as Haku's fingers dug into Zabuza's wrist, "If you ever let a boxhead touch you like that I'll cut off his balls and shove them into your slit throat, do you understand me?" Haku nodded fast, tears rolling down his face as Zabuza shook him against the wall one last time before letting him go.

Haku crumpled onto the crowd, gagging between coughs. Zabuza watched as Haku caught his breath, keeling over onto his side and rolling onto his back. He kept his hands in his pockets, eyes closed after the first few seconds, waiting until Haku let a few gentle slobs slip past. Then he knelt down next to Haku, picked him up, and carried him next to the dumpster, where he sat down and held Haku in his arms, gently rubbing Haku's face in the darkness of the alleyway. They sat in silence for almost an hour, long after Haku had wrapped his arms around Zabuza's neck and buried his face into Zabuza's shoulder, every once in a while letting out deep breaths that had him shaking, fresh tears and Haku's red cheeks heating up Zabuza's shirt and skin.

"Sorry," Zabuza half-said, half-mouthed as a truck roared past.

"Same," Haku said, finally lifting his face, resting his chin on Zabuza's shoulder. "I'd never do it for real, I swear." Zabuza nodded, slipping his fingers underneath the waistband of Haku's pants as he rubbed Haku's back.

"Hey," Zabuza said. "I, uh..." Zabuza closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall, mouth open to say it but nothing coming out.

"I know," Haku said. They both held still as a soldier's boots clicked on the pavement, echoing off the walls. A few minutes later, after he'd gone inside the front door, Haku said, "I love you too." Zabuza pressed the side of his head against Haku's.

"It's getting late," Zabuza said. Haku nodded. Zabuza moved his hand up to the back of Haku's neck. His thumb wrapped around and rubbed Haku's throat where a bruise was forming. "Tell me what you want." Haku turned his head and looked at Zabuza, who turned his head to look back at him.

"How sorry are you?" Haku asked as he watched Zabuza's eyes. The shadowed corners of lips in the darkness pinched a little. Zabuza looked away and shrugged.

"Sorry enough," Zabuza said. "If you still want to, I mean."

"I do," Haku said. Zabuza nodded and held Haku tight, letting a deep breath out. "I mean, since the foreplay's out of the way..." Zabuza laughed a little, standing up and helping Haku up from off of the ground. As Haku walked for the door, Zabuza came up behind him and wrapped his arms around Haku's waist, gently pressing him against the wall and kissing the soft spot behind Haku's ear.

"I know I don't say it enough," Zabuza said, "but I really do love you." Haku smiled and leaned his back against Zabuza's chest, reaching a hand up to Zabuza's head, his fingers curling to grab a fistful of Zabuza's hair. Zabuza leaned down and kissed Haku, sloppy at first, then turned Haku around and pushed his tongue fast past Haku's lips, reaching down and lifting Haku up by his thighs as Haku's legs wrapped around his waist. Another truck roaring past broke them apart, Haku almost dropped onto the ground. Haku was laughing a little as he grabbed Zabuza's hand and led him into the cabaret, up into a room where, as quiet as they could, Zabuza fucked him for over an hour, fifty feet away from a room full of drunk Nazis whistling at the half-naked women dancing for them.

* * *

The man chained to the table gasped for breath as Deidara leaned against the stone wall of the interrogation chamber. Deidara tapped the bottom of the modified acetylene torch against it, each metal clang ringing through the air as he listened to the groans and whimpers of the man, whose skin was peeling off like snake sheddings, exposing the pink and red muscle, sometimes the bone, from underneath charred outlines of puffy black.

"So," Deidara said, the clicking of his boots replacing the ringing of his torch can. "You'll tell me where your friends are, yeah?" The man took a deep, ragged breath.

"Told you," he said, voice broken, "everything." Deidara nodded, dragging the can along the table by the man's head.

"Well, that's just no good, yeah? You've told me everything you know, and I still don't have what I need." Deidara walked to the foot of the table and sat down, running the nozzle along the bottom of the man's food. "What do you suggest we do about that, huh?"

"Please," the man said.

"Alright, if that's what it takes. Can you tell me where your friends are, _please_?"

"I don't know," the man said, shaking his head and crying. He screamed out as Deidara turned up the gas and pressed a trigger for a spark, the blue flick from the nozzle turning into a sheet of orange fire that crept up to the man's toes. Deidara stopped the torch and took in the smell of burning flesh, smiling.

"If you had to guess?" Deidara said, eyes still closed in bliss, "Take a stab at it. Where do you think they might be?" He looked at the man who was shaking his head and mouthing to God for help. "Where did you meet up with them? Where do they live? How do you know them?"

"Warehouse," the man said as Deidara poked the burned flesh with the nozzle. Deidara nodded and stabbed the nozzle deeper, through the weakened muscle and against the bone. The man screamed out as Deidara ground the nozzle against the bones of his foot.

"So you know more than you said, yeah? I even said please." Deidara pouted his lip at the man, stood, grabbed the can by the middle and brought it down on the man's burned groin, the hairs singed away. "You lied to me, over and over again. Even after I said please. How am I supposed to take that, huh?"

"Please," the man said again, shaking his head. Deidara stopped him by shoving the nozzle up the man's nostril, the man groaning as metal scraped cartilage.

"You lied when I said please," Deidara said, "so shouldn't I kill you when you ask me not to? You're pretty self-centered, yeah? So here's what we'll do. You tell me where the warehouse is, and I'll consider not preparing your brain flambé."

"It's by the docks," the man yelled. "A furniture warehouse, please let me go!" Deidara nodded again and pulled the nozzle out of the man's nostril. The door to the interrogation room swung open, two men walking in. One of them clapped, walking in and putting his hand onto Deidara's shoulder.

"Madara," Deidara said, laughing as he hugged the man.

"Deidara, it's always a pleasure seeing your work. Brilliant, as always," Madara said.

"Remarkable," the other man said.

"Deidara, I'd like to introduce Orochimaru," Madara said, stepping back as Deidara and Orochimaru shook hands. "In an experiment on integration of the Schutzstaffel and Wehrmacht, our Generaloberst friend here will be assuming command until further notice."

"I see," Deidara said, looking over Orochimaru.

"I assure you," Madara said, "that the Generaloberst and myself have discussed at length how there will be no interference with Gestapo activities. And I'm confident," he said, turning towards Orochimaru, "that the Generaloberst will be accommodating towards your unique abilities. Crackdown on resistance here in Paris has been set as a priority for the new command, and your skills will be in high demand over the next few weeks. As well, I'll be bringing in the rest of your team to facilitate the increase in demand. Your team leader will assume command of the Gestapo while your current commanding officer will be reassigned to the Eastern front."

"Ah, all of Akutsuki?" Deidara asked.

"They'll be arriving next week. You'll all be kept busy," Madara said with a grin. The man on the table closed his eyes and rolled his head to look away. Deidara moved to the table and reached for a canister set by one of the table legs.

"Well then," Deidara said. "In honor of your arrival and celebration of such wonderful news, I think we can do something special, yes?" Deidara splashed liquid from the can all over the man's body, the smell of gasoline filling the chamber, droplets running down the table legs. After the man was completely doused, Deidara smashed his face with the acetylene torn bottle, blood pouring as teeth broke and cut into the inside of the man's lips. As the man gasped for air, Deidara poured what was left of the gasoline into his mouth, throwing the can over into the corner and closing the door. He joined Madara and Orochimaru in the observation room on the other side of the one-way glass.

"And?" Orochimaru asked. Deidara pointed to a wire hanging in the corner of the chamber.

"The room used to have an intercom system. It was a bothersome little fucker, people always interrupting me. Not conducive to a peaceful environment at all. So I ripped it out and told the electricians to finish uninstalling the wires."

Deidara flipped the intercom switch on the wall. As electricity ran through the wires, the gasoline fumes ignited, the room exploding into an inferno. Still chained to the metal table, the man thrashed as his body burned, fire roaring from his mouth, over his skin. Deidara laughed, clapping his hands, then turned to Orochimaru with a face-splitting grin.

"Apparently they forgot," Deidara said. Shadows danced on his face as he pressed his forehead to the glass, lost in the flames that covered the man's body. Madara nodded, smiling as he watched.

"I think we'll get along great," Orochimaru said.


End file.
